Christmas Most Wanted
by UnderratedHero
Summary: Bobby and his little sister are coming to Royal Woods on Christmas Eve, and Lincoln is now fearing that he doesn't have the perfect gift to give Ronnie Anne. Will he figure out in time what the best Christmas gift ever is, or will he end up disappointing her? Three-way collab with JamesSunderlandsPillow and SesquipedalianNumeral.
1. A Christmas Together

_Hello, everyone. This story is a collaboration between JamesSunderlandsPillow, SesquipedalianNumeral and yours truly. It's not my first time making a collab, but it is definitely a one of a kind type of story. All three of us have been working on this for a little over a month, between work, college finals, and personal situations that handicapped our productivity, but we soldiered through this because this story is dedicated to a very special friend of ours, xSunnyEclipse. She is a very dear friend of ours on Discord, and we wanted to write something for her. As a result, this fanfic contains several inside jokes and memes that maybe only she will understand, but nonetheless we believe the story can be enjoyed by everyone._

 _Before we get started, we would like to say some words to the girl that we did all of this for._

 _ **UnderratedHero**_ _: When we met you were scared of talking to me, and now it's me who dreads a day where we don't talk. You've grown on me like no other, and I'm happy to call you one of my best friends in this fandom. We disguised this one-shot as a "passion project" to keep the secret from you, but it's more than that. It's not just a passion project. This is a love letter from the three of us to you. I hope you enjoy this._

 _ **JamesSunderlandsPillow**_ _: Not only is it an honor to work with two of my best friends, and two of the best authors this fandom has to offer, but it's an honor to do this for someone we all care a lot about. You're such a great girl, Sunny Eclipse. From OTP Rants to endless inside jokes, to recently just opening up to one another about our love for all things Loud House and its characters, you'll always be in our hearts. Thanks for everything, and I hope you enjoy this. :purple_heart:_

 _ **SesquipedalianNumeral**_ _: From the first 5am crew we had to where we are today, you've always been such an amazingly fun and positive person. It's truly inspiring. You so selflessly hosted the secret santa while sacrificing your own fun and presents, just so we could enjoy ourselves. Every time I see you around in the server, or whenever I hear you scream "HEEEEYYY SASSY" in voice chat, I'm always left in awe at the life you bring the community. Always love hearing your unique perspectives, and you don't let us grouches tell you otherwise. I wouldn't have it any other way. As I like to say, this collab is the least we could do. Thanks for being an awesome friend Sunny! :sescoke:_

 _ **Disclaimer** : The Loud House, its characters, locations and scenarios are the property of Nickelodeon, Viacom and its rightful owners._

* * *

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 **Christmas Most Wanted  
** **Part I:  
** **A Christmas Together**

.

The snow glowed white on the backyard that morning, not a footprint to be seen on the soft canvas that Lincoln studied with a radiant smile as he peeked through his bedroom window from above. Even if the position was awkward, with him standing on his mattress with the tip of his toes just so his eyes could barely make it over the edge to take a look outside, he felt as happy as an eleven years old could be when faced with the promise of a white Christmas.

He bounced on his bed a couple of times before jumping to the floor with what was definitely not the best technique, stumbling and almost falling prone on his butt, but catching his balance at the last second to feel like an Olympics athlete. He felt invincible, untouchable, like nothing could ever go wrong for him. He didn't know where all this positive energy was coming from, but he wasn't about to complain. He grabbed his winter clothes, and after turning Bun-Bun around so he wouldn't see, he began putting them on.

Boy, he truly loved Christmas! Halloween was awesome, don't get him wrong, he loved dressing as Ace Savvy and going out with his best friend Clyde, getting candy from as many houses as possible. It was a magnificent holiday, but there was something about Christmas that simply couldn't be rivaled. It wasn't just the presents, no —even though he couldn't deny that there were few things that could top the feeling of unwrapping a present on Christmas morning—, it was the whole package that came with the season and the festivity. Spending time with his family, all together, singing Christmas carols, setting up the tree, having some delicious cups of hot chocolate, playing in the snow or snuggling near the fire with a blanket on their shoulders, enjoying the mutual company and general comfiness. Whereas Halloween allowed him to bond with his best friend and fill their stomachs with candy, Christmas filled his heart with joy. There was nothing he appreciated more than spending time with his loved ones.

Once he was all set up with his long-sleeved sweater, his cozy scarf and his snow boots, he took a look at the pictures on his dresser/desk/nightstand/bookcase/battle station. He first grabbed one from his latest birthday. He had a pointy, cone-shaped hat that he thought looked ridiculous, but little did he care, for all his eyes could focus on was the fact that his ten sisters were trapping him in one of their trademark group hugs. All of them almost fighting for the chance of embracing some part of him. He couldn't help but smile every time he looked at that picture; he loved his sisters dearly, and he wouldn't trade them for the world.

The one right next to it featured him and Clyde, both boys dressed as their favorite superheroes, their arms around each other's shoulders, their eyes closed, their foreheads touching, and their free hands showing two comics signed by Bill Buck himself. The picture was from the latest Comic Congregation at Royal Woods, and it had been one of the greatest moments both boys had ever experienced. It was made even better by the fact that they both had spent the whole day together. Clyde was the brother Lincoln never had, and he loved him with every bit of his heart. He was practically part of the family, and Lincoln would go to the end of the world as long as he was at his side.

And finally, there was a third picture on his desk, hidden between some of his books. This one had to be concealed during most of the day; the last thing he wanted was to have one of his sisters finding out about it and gossiping to the rest. He would never hear the end of it. That's why he kept his complimentary souvenir photo from the top deck hidden, because the moment the ten-headed beast found out that he cherished a picture of him and Ronnie Anne... boy, he would be as dead as disco.

He couldn't help it, though, he just loved that picture. Even if it consisted of her pulling his pants down. Classic Ronnie Anne. Fun isn't something one considers when having his undies displayed for the whole world to see, but that did put a smile on his face. He hoped she would never change… Even if their relationship had started as one of rivalry, he had grown to like her, and the more he got to know her, the closer he felt that they got.

After realizing that he had spent at least five minutes staring at that picture, Lincoln decided to tidy his bed a little before leaving. As he was softly accommodating his pillow —God, it was so soft and enjoyable, he loved it—, his hand bumped into Bun-Bun, and the boy with ashen hair grabbed his stuffed animal to give him a gentle hug.

"I miss her too, buddy", he whispered to his friend.

Now ready to face a new day, he opened his bedroom door and took a step outside. The sound of chaos greeted his ears, but he was not intimidated by it. He had grown used to it, and it gave him an odd sense of reassurance. The fact that his sisters were that active meant that they were having fun, and if they were having fun, there was no reason why he wouldn't as well!

The first sign of exhilarating fun came from the twin's room. Just as Lincoln was marching into the hall, the first door to his right was kicked open, and Lana came out, running in all fours, letting out a mighty roar as she charged downstairs. It happened way too fast for him to pick up many details, but with a quick glance he was able to notice the fact that she was wearing a green costume.

Seconds later, Lola came out of the room, her big toothy smile leading the way. She was wearing a weird explorer's hat.

"MY DINOSAUR!" She screamed, her high pitched shriek piercing Lincoln's ears. He plugged them with his fingers to avoid any lasting damage, and then he called her before she ran downstairs, chasing after her twin.

"What are you guys playing?" He gently asked, doing his best to smile at his little sister.

"Me and Lana are playing safari", the princess explained, her hands shaking with excitement. "I've already captured her as a lion and a zebra, so now she's playing as a dinosaur. Do you want to join us, Linky?"

"Eh, I'll have to pass on this one", he said, rubbing his neck. "I'm thinking of going outside to play with my sled."

"Pfft, alright, your loss", the girl said, shrugging her shoulders with sesquipedalian sassiness. "I'll have you know that you're missing out on a lot of fun, mister."

He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"And since when do you like this type of roughhousing games?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at her with a smug grin. Lola shrugged once again, her eyelashes fluttering innocently.

"We all have our guilty pleasures", she admitted with a soft giggle at the end. Suddenly, her face contorted into one of malice and evil intentions, with her teeth sharp as spikes. "And mine is chasing down Lana and adding another one of her heads to my collection."

With an evil laugh that sent chills to Lincoln's heart, she ran downstairs, looking for a new proverbial trophy. The boy stood frozen on his place, flabbergasted at the scenario he had just witnessed. He loved his little sister, but she had some issues that needed to be discussed.

He shook his head and decided to forget it for now. He didn't have time to waste on these things right now. It was the morning of December 23rd, one day before Christmas Eve, and there was a thirteen inches thick blanket of snow waiting for him outside. He just wanted to make a quick visit to the bathroom before heading outside and officially start his fun.

He was reaching the bathroom door when he walked past Lori and Leni's room, and the sound of conversation caught his ear. From the looks of it, his eldest sister was in the middle of a phone conversation with Bobby. Lincoln could tell because of the loving, cheerful tone she always used to speak to him.

"No way! You saw it too?" she said with a little laugh. "I love the Actors' Eighties Christmas! It's literally my favorite holiday special!" she giddily told her boyfriend over the end of the line.

A smile stretched on Lincoln's freckled face. He loved hearing his sister sound so happy, knowing she got the love she deserved from a guy like Roberto Santiago. He couldn't really help it, he had to just idle outside so he could hear her a little longer.

"What?" Lori started again with a little gasp. "You are? _You are?!"_ she hollered before letting out a…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Lincoln had to cringe as she let out her euphoric scream. Whatever Bobby told her, it had to be really good news. Washing his face to make himself feel beautiful could wait. He had to hear whatever it was Lori had been told, so he leaned closer to the door until his ear was hovering inches away from it.

"You really mean it? You're coming to Royal Woods for Christmas? AAAAAAAH!" she screamed once again. "Oh my gosh, I literally can't even!"

"Wow, Bobby's coming back home," Lincoln thought out loud with a smile.

Just then, the young boy could feel a little shiver run down his spine, like maybe someone was hovering over him. He turned around to see Lori at the now open doorway, and while a slight sliver of anxiety coursed through his veins upon discovering her, it quickly faded as he saw the bright, wide, beaming grin on her overjoyed face. "Lincoln!" She happily chirped as she grabbed him by his collar and whisked him into her bedroom.

"Wooooah!"

In the blink of an eye, he found himself sitting on Lori's bed beside her. The young woman couldn't wipe the joy from her face as she excitedly hopped up and down on the bed beside of him. "Oh my gosh. Guess what?" She started, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

The boy cleared his throat before casually responding, "Bobby's coming home for Christmas?"

And, unlike cheese from Wyoming, her response was expected. Another "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Lincoln picked his ear with his pinky before shaking his head and putting on a smile. "That's awesome! When is he coming?" he asked.

Just as Lori was about to open her mouth and respond, the sound of the intro to _Careless Whisper_ began blaring from the doorway. The brother and sister looked over to see their sister Luan wearing both a pair on reindeer horns and a cheeky smile. "Tee hee," she giggled, waving her smartphone in their direction.

"I can tell you when he's _coming,"_ she started before Luna came to the rescue, dragging her roommate away with a deadpan expression.

"I can list fifty reasons why I hate you," the comedian playfully jabbed before the two of them disappeared back to where they came from.

Lori and Lincoln shrugged off the incident before returning to the topic of discussion. "So, you were saying?" he asked.

"Oh, right! He'll be here tomorrow. I just can't wait to see him, Lincoln! It feels like the first time in forever!" she swooned.

"Yeah, it has been a while," he thought as he rubbed his arm. It really had been a while. Thanksgiving, actually. A whole month. Maybe that wasn't a long time for some, but for these two particular Louds, it felt like an eternity.

That's not to say Lori and Bobby didn't talk every day. And realistically, Lincoln would hear from Bobby sometimes when he'd walk in on them having their daily phone call, or even the occasional text message here and there about Star Wars or Hearthstone.

What really got to him in this moment, though, was not Bobby, but rather his younger sister.

They talked. They talked a lot. Every other day, at the least. Web chatting, texting, and video calls could only emulate the real thing so well, though. He couldn't feel Ronnie Anne's literal and figurative jabs quite the same as he could face to face with her in reality. He couldn't see the twinkle in her brown eyes, or the way her freckles would glisten in just the right light, or smell her perfume…

"Lincoln?" Lori said to get his attention.

The eleven year old shook his head, snapping back to reality like Bowie after Ziggy Stardust. "Huh? Yeah?"

"I said you're gonna be around tomorrow, right? You don't have plans with Clyde or something?" His sister repeated, apparently having said this while he was daydreaming about… uh… whatever Ronnie Anne was. Definitely not his girlfriend. Yeah.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be around tomorrow," Lincoln answered. "Clyde and I already checked off our holiday list. He'll be playing Hearthstone with relatives until the 27th."

"Good!" she chirped before ebbing on her excitement just a bit. "I mean, that's good you'll be around tomorrow… I like having everybody here," she admitted, forlorn hope in her tone.

Okay, if there was ever the perfect time to ask about _her_ , it was now…

"Hey, Lori?" he began with some trepidation.

"Yeah?" his oldest sister responded with an inquisitive glare.

Lincoln steeled himself for a moment before deciding to be brave and share his feelings and hopes. "Uhm, could you maybe ask Bobby if… Could you maybe ask him if Ronnie Anne has plans tomorrow?" he asked, his heart racing faster with every word that escaped his mouth.

Lori met him with confusion at first, but her face slowly stretched into the same eager smile as before. Little cartoon hearts practically fluttered into the air as she fawned over her little brother's display of affection for his not-girlfriend.

"Awww!"

"Oh gosh," Lincoln thought with a facepalm as his face burned up. "Here we go…"

Without another word, Lori hurriedly pulled out her smartphone, and began pounding her well moisturized thumbs (she got her lotion from her BFF Carol Pingrey) against the touchscreen to dial up Bobby Boo Boo Bear once again.

Before Lincoln could even try to make her reconsider with the words, "Lori, wait!" the teenage romantic was looking to Bobby's face via the SwiftyPic RealTime app, practically glowing with excitement.

"Hey, babe! Did you miss me already?" Bobby flirted from the other end.

"I always miss you, my love," Lori teased back before getting to the point. "Bobby, listen. I have to ask you something that's literally important."

"Sure babe! What's up?" her suitor pleasantly responded.

Lincoln could feel his palms begin to sweat and his pupils begin to dilate as the moment drew nearer. Here he was, thinking he would just spend the next two days sleighing around the neighborhood without a care, and now he was waiting to hear about Ronnie Anne and whether or not he'd get to see her this Christmas Eve.

He sat on the edge of his seat (literally, as Lori liked to say) and waited for the exchange between his sister and future brother-in-law to come to a finish.

"Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Okay," Lori repeated, but Lincoln couldn't focus on her or Bobby. He was far too flustered.

He shut his eyes tightly as he bit his lip. This had been a bad idea. A _terrible_ idea. Once Ronnie Anne heard that Lincoln asked about her, he'd never hear the end of it.

His reverie of self-doubt was interrupted by Lori poking her finger into his leg to get his attention. He opened his eyes to face her, and he found her offering her cellphone to him with a soft, encouraging smile on her face.

He gulped as he accepted the phone, maybe out of sheer instinct alone. What the heck was he getting himself into?

As he took the phone, he discovered Bobby looking back to him with his usual, dapper expression. It was very easy to see why Lori loved him so dearly, that was certain. What wasn't easy to see was how he would react to Lincoln's questioning whether or not his little sister would be available. Would he laugh? Would he try and offer him advice? Would he try and give him… _the talk?_

"Hey bro," Bobby greeted. Not the end of the world… yet.

"Uh, hey big guy," Lincoln responded, trying to play it cool. "How's it going?"

"Dude, if I was any better, Lisa would try to clone me," the older boy joked back.

"Heh, that's a good one. I'll have to try and remember it," he said as he nervously rubbed the back on his neck, thinking to himself, _"Would you hurry up and tell me how big of an idiot I am, already?"_

He could see the shift in demeanor for his sister's boyfriend. The moment of truth was nigh. His judge, jury, and executioner would come in the form of this hispanic angel with a majestic singing voice.

"So… Lori says you were wondering about Ronnie Anne?"

"What? Uh, pfft, no!" he answered with a nervous chuckle. "But uh, now that you bring it up, it would be nice to know about her…"

Seeing this, Bobby chuckled as well. "Chillax bro. It's normal to wanna know how your girlfriend's doing!"

He shouldn't have even been surprised at this point, but he found himself reacting with the same sense of embarrassment once again, his face reddening and feeling warmer to the touch. "She's not my girlfriend!" he said for probably the millionth time.

"Hah, whatever you say bro!" the older boy said with a wink.

Lori couldn't help but start giggling, much to Lincoln's embarrassment and annoyance. Conversations regarding Ronnie Anne somehow always ended up with him being made fun of for this exact reason. People trying to ship them together, pretending that they were an item. Why was it so hard for them to understand? They were just friends. So what if he had kissed her...twice? What if they talked almost every day? What if he felt a tingling sensation in his chest every time he saw an incoming call from her… or if he liked to daydream about meeting up again? N-None of that meant anything...

His sister probably noticed his predicament, and in an act of benevolence she patted his head and told him "I'll be right back. Love you Boo Boo Bear!"

With that, she left the room, leaving him alone with the phone.

"Anyways, she's doing great!" Bobby continued. "Just earlier, she was teaching CJ how to make paper snowflakes!"

The embarrassment plastered all over his face dissipated as quickly as it appeared, replacing itself with a longing smile. He remembered a time when imagining her doing anything other than picking on himself was nigh impossible. But over time, she had slowly opened up to him, and he saw a more kind and nurturing side. That was really the only side he thought about anymore.

"Sounds like fun!" he said with a chipper tone. "What's she doing right now?"

"Oh, she's out with the family, buying more christmas decorations!" Bobby answered.

"I guess she's usually busy too," he said with a hint of dejection. "I wish I could see her more often. We video chat all the time, but it's just not the same."

"Yeah, I get that," Bobby said, mirroring Lincoln's expression. This quickly turned around however, as not even a second later, he was grinning again. "Hey, how would you like to see her again?"

"That's nice and all, but neither of us can drive," Lincoln said with a sigh.

"What if I drove her to Royal Woods with me tomorrow?"

Upon hearing that, Lincoln's eyes lit up, and a smile slowly crept onto his face. Was he hearing this right?

"You really mean it? You'd drive her here?"

"Yeah, it's no big deal! I don't think our family would mind!" Bobby chuckled.

Lincoln's mind started racing with all the good times he had with Ronnie Anne, and all the new memories they could create. He remembered the days when she would relentlessly prank him, or throw punches at his arm and call him lame-o. How times had changed. He used to hate it when she did it to him, but now, it was oddly endearing. He could still do without the pantsing and the sloppy joes, but they were still characteristic of the Ronnie Anne that was so dear to him.

There was so much they could do tomorrow too! They could have a snowball fight, or go sledding, or maybe she'd prank him stuffing snow in his pants. There were so many things they had to catch up on as well, so much to do tomorrow. The possibilities were endless.

But most importantly, the most unbelievable part of them all, was that he would get to see her in person again. No longer just an image behind the screen. After so many weeks, it was finally happening.

"That's awesome!" Lincoln finally cheered.

"Anything for my bro!" Bobby said. He then glanced side to side before lowering his voice. "Hey, is Lori around?"

"Sure, she'll be back, I can go find her-"

"No, no!" Bobby interrupted before leaning into the camera. "I don't want her to hear, I just really wanna show you something," he whispered.

Lincoln raised an eyebrow at that. "What's up?"

"I'm planning something super special for Lori," Bobby continued. "I've been checking the weather lately, and I think Christmas Eve is just in time for the snow to be just right. I'm gonna take her out on a walk, sit down at a bench somewhere really nice surrounded by trees, and I'm gonna give her this!"

Bobby then reached to the side as though he pulled something towards himself.

"You're sure Lori's not looking, right?"

Just to be sure, Lincoln took a quick look around the room again to confirm she wasn't there, before giving a quick nod and a thumbs up to the screen.

With that, Bobby pulled the item closer to himself and held it up for the camera to capture.

It was a snow globe about the size of his hand, and just about one of the prettiest things Lincoln had ever seen in his entire life. The glass was shining in pristine new condition, and the contents within were clear as a crystal. The snowflakes inside gracefully fluttered towards the bottom, coating the base with a blanket of white fluff. At the centerpiece of it all however was a picture of Lori and Bobby taking a selfie of themselves, displayed in the globe.

"Wow…" Lincoln gasped at that. "She's going to love it!"

"Gosh, I can't wait!" Bobby squealed. "It's gonna be the best Christmas gift ever!"

With that statement, Lincoln's veins froze, and the once rising hopeful heart started sinking towards the ground as he made a crushing realization about his next fateful encounter with Ronnie Anne.

Bobby was getting Lori a gift that would literally melt her heart. It would be perfect. Amazing. Everything that a girl could dream of and more.

And he had nothing for Ronnie Anne. _Nothing._

He forced a sheepish grin on his face as he told Bobby, "You really picked the perfect present." But in his mind and in his heart, there were more flustering whirlwinds than when he was told he'd have to build birdhousesfor Ms. Johnson. Lori said this all the time, but he had to admit, Bobby really was an amazing boyfriend. He was so thoughtful and caring, finding time in his busy life to drive a few hours and see his girlfriend. His present was one of a kind, the culmination of all the thought and care he put into their loving relationship. How could Lincoln even begin to live up to that.

"That's great!" Bobby replied to his feigned enthusiasm, oblivious to it all. "Could you pass the phone back to Lori? There's something I actually want her to hear as well."

Lincoln glanced over to the doorway, where Lori was serendipitously reentering the room. He did his best to act like there was nothing out of the ordinary going on, and he casually handed the phone back to his sister before sliding away, leaving the two lovebirds alone to do whatever they did. Blegh, 'lovebirds'. A part of him instinctively wanted to spit at that word, but something inside him just wouldn't let it go…

Besides, he had other things to think about.

Ronnie Anne was coming over after who knows how long, and what did he have to offer? Yeah, they'd have fun and all, but those would eventually fade into memory. Shouldn't he get her something to remember him by? After all, they were coming over for christmas! People usually give gifts on christmas. But what. exactly? It was a proposition that he couldn't even begin to think about.

Yet he tried anyway, scraping at the bottom of the barrel for any possible ideas, or bursts of insight. But the more those thoughts plagued his mind, the more confused he became. There were _so many things_ he could do, although the biggest challenge wasn't just coming up with something, the true struggle was that, whatever he chose, it had to be perfect. Bobby's snow globe was perfect! Absolutely pristine and flawless. He had to get her something just as good, if not better. Something he could actually be proud of giving. Who knew how Ronnie Anne would feel if she didn't get what she most wanted?

He shook himself to regain some composure, and made his way to the door without another word as Lori resumed her conversation with Bobby.

"They did what? A new Tangled Exhibit at Disney?! Shut up!" he could hear his oldest sister gush as he carefully shut the door behind him.

The boy heaved a breath before double taking, checking to see if anyone else was around. Luckily, he only had himself, and what was he going to do?

"Alright, alright, don't panic, Lincoln, you got this," he thought out loud as he perked back up. Then, he smiled brightly like the epiphanic light bulb that went off over his snowy white head. "This isn't over yet! I have the whole day to come up with the perfect gift, and when I do, it's going to make this the best christmas ever for her!"

Like Peter Quill, he could feel a new rhythm in his step. Like Luke Skywalker, he could feel a new hope. He still had time to get Ronnie Anne Santiago the best dang Christmas anywhere around, and not a darn thing would stand in his way of making sure of that!

"I just need to realize what the absolute most perfect gift for her could be," he thought.

Now _that_ was the million dollar question. Ronnie Anne was a girl of discriminating tastes. She loved hoodies, skateboarding, and video games. Yes. Duh. All things she could buy with gift cards her other loved ones would get for her. But there had to be something Lincoln could offer her that no one else could think to.

Lost in thought, Lincoln suddenly bumped into something, and felt himself getting knocked back from the opposing force. A crash and a few shatters were heard as well, and he landed on the floor, letting out an 'oof' along the way.

"Ow…" he rubbed his eyes before glancing ahead at what stopped him. There was Lisa, taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes, all while wincing in pain. In front of her was a box, which was large enough to obstruct Lisa's view if she tried to carry it.

"Apologies sibling unit!" Lisa said, wiping her glasses on her sweater and shaking her head.

"No, I should have watched where I was going," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck before pointing at the box. "Want some help with that?"

"Mind the fragile components."

With that, he stood and tried to lift the box from the bottom, taken back by its weight. It was a wonder how Lisa was able to carry the thing at all. At least he could see what was ahead of him.

"What's even in this thing?" he asked, amid a few grunts.

"Security cameras," she answered, putting her glasses back on. "In light of the many reports surrounding this so-called 'Saint Nicholas', I believe it prudent to collect videographic evidence of his highly questionable existence. Perhaps this will finally quell the twins' fears of making the 'naughty list'." She said the last part with a barely noticeable hint of mockery.

"Downstairs?"

With an approving nod from Lisa, Lincoln turned and made his way down the stairs, careful consideration in each step he took. His hands were quickly reddening however, sore from the box weighing down on his weak unathletic figure. Despite the pain, he could rest assured this would all be over shortly, and the thought of his sister's gratefulness gave him plenty of reason to be a good big brother.

Eventually, he did make it to the bottom, and he lowered the box closer to the floor before dropping it down, exhaling with relief.

"Much appreciated!" Lisa thanked him.

"No problem!" he said in return.

With a finger boop to Lisa's nose, he turned around and made his way towards the stairs, hiding the frown that slowly crept back onto his face. There was still Ronnie Anne's present to think about, and he had to get started now if he wanted a clue!

Before he could take his first step up however, he felt a tug at his shirt from behind.

"I believe there are still some unresolved matters," Lisa said.

Trying not to raise any suspicions, Lincoln responded with his best regular voice to hide his self-doubt. "Oh, what else do you need help with?"

"Virtuous as always, but I believe you're the one in need of assistance," Lisa said.

"I'm fine, don't worry." He tried walking up the stairs once again, only to be pulled back by his sister still tugging on his shirt.

"It's incredibly unusual of you to be unaware of your surroundings, considering your self-proclaimed attentiveness to this chaotic household," she continued. "I've also taken note of your intonation and feigned exuberance, which leads me to conclude that something is on your mind."

The corner of Lincoln's lips curved up at that. Leave it to Lisa to be the analyst and lay down the facts.

"Furthermore," she continued, "venting will offer a cathartic experience for your pent up reservations. Considering your selfless mannerisms, it's only fair I reciprocate to the best of my abilities."

Hearing this, Lincoln finally turned around, sitting down on one of the steps, elbows on knees and head rested in his hands.

"Well, I have to get a Christmas present for Ronnie Anne," he sighed.

"Excuse me for a moment," Lisa said.

Lincoln raised an eyebrow as he saw his sister turn around and take a deep breath. She then let out a high pitched squeal and excitedly shook her fists in front of her, causing him to instinctively wince and plug his ears.

Lisa quickly ceased her display of excitement and turned to face her brother again, immediately returning to her neutral demeanor. "Apologies, Lincoln. Now that my emotional outbursts are out of the way, I may be able to assist you in properly endowing your girlfriend with a gift."

"She's not my- never mind," he dismissed that thought with a wave. "What do you have?"

"Follow me." Lisa darted past him and started walking up the stairs, arms held behind her back. Lincoln followed behind her, yet uncertainty still lingered in his mind. Truth be told, she wasn't his first choice when it came to people he'd ask for help. Sometimes, she didn't understand, and sometimes, she just didn't care. However, this wasn't just a homework assignment or one of her tutoring sessions. Lincoln had seen this type of excitement before, when he first mentioned Ronnie Anne picking on him and revealed her gender. Stoic as his sister may appear, she certainly wasn't inhuman. Maybe she had a good perspective to offer.

They reached the top of the stairs and turned towards the lab. After arriving at the entrance, Lisa reached up to the doorknob and opened it, with Lincoln following after.

Inside was the same laboratory that he grew to be familiar with. Aside from the bed to the right and the crib to the left, there were various unidentified machines and devices stuffed in a corner, some papers and books scattered across the desk, and vials of highly questionable substances strewn across the place. In the middle of the room was Lily, surrounded with various puppets, whether they be dogs, birds, bears, or eyeless scientists. In one hand, she held a frog with skinny stick-like limbs, while In her other, she held a pig with blonde hair wearing a dress. She continuously pecked the puppets' mouths against each other, making kissing sounds along the way.

"Mwah mwah mwah," she babbled to herself.

He smiled fondly; he loved her cause her deuces are wild, like a double shot of loving so fine.

Lisa ignored it all and beelined straight to her laptop, opening it and booting it up. To her, all this surrounding her was just another normal day in her personal laboratory. In fact, it was crazy how Lincoln was used to it all, with his sister's extraordinary prodigy status, her prestigious scientific accomplishments, and her arguably freakish everyday habits. Yet, he held her dear to himself just like every single one of his sisters, and he'd stop at nothing to show her that he loved her. All the people he cared about were worthy of appreciation for their full package, flaws and all.

Meanwhile, his sister continued working at the computer, loading all sorts of websites and spreadsheets. The screen got increasingly cramped with numbers, making him a little dizzy akin to when he tried to woodwork.

"So, you really think you can help me?" he finally asked.

"Affirmative," Lisa said while adjusting her glasses. "As you can see, I have acquired various statistics, financial statements, census reports and other miscellaneous documents that may be useful for our purposes."

"What does that have to do with anything!?"

"By utilizing this mass of data, we can consolidate key points of information and form an image of the perfect gift for Ronnie Anne," she continued.

With blinding speed, Lisa read and analyzed the data on screen, and Lincoln could only watch with bewilderment. When it came to numbers, it was best if he trusted her to know what she was doing.

"Ahah!" she announced.

"Alright, what do you have?" he skeptically asked.

"Thus far, we have gathered that she is an eleven year old Hispanic female born natively in Royal Woods. Factoring in the holidays and your romantic endeavors, if we look at the most popular gifts among her demographic…"

She started clicking at things on the screen again, eventually pulling up three distinct items on the screen before turning in her seat to face her older brother. "In descending order, my recommendations are a capacitive touchscreen cellular device, a prepaid stored-value card, and an assortment of luxurious maquillaje."

Lincoln raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "A what now?"

"Smartphone, gift card and makeup," Lisa said with a sigh.

As pretentious as his sister's vocabulary was, he did take a few seconds to consider the options. There was no way he'd get her a smartphone first of all. They were hundreds of dollars, and he wasn't even sure he had more than twenty dollars in his piggy bank. Gift cards were definitely more feasible, but he had a hard time imagining her using them. She wasn't someone that liked going to the mall much, and as far as he knew, Gus' Games 'n Grub didn't sell any. Forget the makeup, not only did he know nothing about them, Ronnie Anne would rather lick the bathroom floor than be caught wearing them!

"Yeah, no," Lincoln said. "None of these make sense."

Lisa stroked her chin and hummed to herself. "I suppose she never fit the traditional feminine stereotypes anyway," she conceded. "If the intent is to satisfy the social obligation behind Christmas holiday, you couldn't go wrong with handing her physical currency."

Again, he had to consider that option. There was no way he could go wrong with giving her cash. She could buy herself anything she wanted, and he could avoid hurt feelings if he got her the wrong gift! At least, those were his immediate first thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more he hated the idea. Something about giving her cash felt super ingenuine and lazy. He thought back to the snow globe Bobby showed him, just how beautiful and unique it was with the selfie in the middle. Bobby probably had to custom order that days in advance, select the picture... there was a lot that went into that. That wasn't just him buying something, that was him putting his heart and soul into it. Buying a personalized gift had a sentimental value completely unmatched by the mere monetary value of cash.

"I don't like that," Lincoln said, shaking his head.

"Quite a stickler huh," Lisa commented. "I suppose you can't satisfy everyone". She hopped off the stool and joined Lily at the center of the room, still playing with the various puppets surrounding her.

"I guess not," Lincoln agreed. "But you still gave me something to think about. Thanks for trying, Lisa," he said with a soft smile.

Lisa glanced back at him, offering a smile of her own. "It's the least I could do," she said before focusing on her younger sister.

With that, he turned and made his way towards the door, just barely hearing Lisa give another five hour rant on the egregious misspelling of 'puppets' before leaving.

As he walked into the hall, his mind was racing, still thinking about everything that she had just told him. The sound of Lola and Lana running around the first floor wasn't helping him focus, so his feet absentmindedly led him downstairs, through the dining room, the kitchen, and right outside.

The cold, winter breeze hit his face, and he breathed the sweet perfume of a snowy morning. He walked into the white blanket covering his yard, and he relished on the awesome, magical feeling of his feet sinking into the few inches of snow. It was a perfect day to just grab his Fearsome Flyer 1000, build a ramp and spend an adrenaline filled afternoon reaching maximum altitude and speed.

However, the idea of taking his old sled out for a ride became less and less attractive the more Lincoln worried about getting a present for Ronnie Anne. It was something that was definitely not in his to-do list when he woke up, but now all his energies and thoughts were occupied trying to figure out what to give her. As much as he appreciated Lisa's advice, he didn't really think it was particularly useful for this specific case.

Ronnie Anne was most certainly not your regular eleven years old girl. She was special, she was different, she was… she was _Ronnie Anne_. He knew she wouldn't fit Lisa's average computations because she was far from average. She was something unlike anything Lincoln had ever known. She was a tough girl with a heart of gold. Rough but sensitive and soft when it really came down to her feelings. She could be aggressive, but also protective and caring when it came to her family and friends. She was cool, athletic, outgoing, confident, very straightforward and prideful. It wasn't easy for him to just assume what girls like that loved, because truthfully, he had no idea how to deal with girls like that... since he had never-

"Hey Stinkoln, think fast!"

He realized what was about to happen as he was halfway turning around. When the realization hit him, he barely managed to close his eyes and clench his face muscles just as he saw the snowball getting bigger and bigger. One second later, the projectile hit his forehead with bullseye accuracy. It didn't really hurt, to be perfectly frank, but he still recoiled and feigned a little pain and indignation as he rubbed the point of impact.

"Ouch! _Lyyynn_!" He complained as he rubbed the now tender spot on his face, his voice unfortunately cracking in the middle of his whining. He immediately felt his cheeks blushing, and he closed his eyes in embarrassment. Lynn's chuckle rang through his ears as he gritted his teeth and clenched his gloved fists.

"God, you're such a dork", she playfully teased, wiping a tear from her left eye. "Gotta think faster next time, punk."

 _Punk. Loser._ It suddenly hit him, harder than any snowball thrown in his direction. That's right! He may not be able to tell what a girl like Ronnie Anne would love to get for Christmas, but he had an older sister who probably could! His girlfri- Ahem. His _friend_ was into skateboarding, surfing, and other sports. She liked rough-housing and physical activities. If _anyone_ could tell her what someone like that would want the most for Christmas, it had to be his immediately older sister.

He approached her, noticing for the first time what she was doing. Wearing her red winter clothes and her white scarf, she was working on making a snow slope for her bobsled. She had a snow shovel that she used to gather snow and add it to the rudimentary racetrack. It was far from being an engineering masterpiece, but Lincoln was impressed nonetheless by the work his sister was putting into it.

"So, uh, _ehem_ , Lynn?" He cautiously called her as he cleared his throat and got into surprise-mime-attack range.

"Sup, bro?" She asked, not even looking back at him as she kept working on her ramp.

"Do you have a minute? There's something I want to ask you," he timidly continued.

She stopped digging into the snow to look at him with intrigued eyes, her head slightly tilted to her left and one of her hands resting on her hips. Lynn was a simple girl, with simple goals and simple approaches. She didn't even try to camouflage the surprise in her eyes, nor the little specs of worry and curiosity that he could see crystal clear on her brown pupils.

"Well, I really should work on this ramp before the snow starts to melt and it doesn't work as a bobsled track anymore, but what is it?" Suddenly, her eyes lighted up and a big smile spread on her face. "Oh! Do you wanna play with me? That's my bro!"

Little he could do to avoid the punch on his arm. "Ouch!"

"You can be my pilot and I'll be the pusher!" She said, practically jumping on her place, with eagerness written all over her face and soaking into her voice.

"Yeah, no, hard pass", he rushed to say, shaking his head and arms to make sure that she knew he didn't want to do it before she forced him to be on her deathtrap of a race.

He didn't mean to sound condescending or to hurt her feelings, but he saw her excited eyes glow cold for a second, the hopefulness and excitement within them being extinguished like the flickering light of a candle with a chill breeze. It only lasted for a second, before she frowned and buffed hard enough for her bangs to wave in the air.

Lincoln was suddenly aware of the fact that she was holding a shovel in her hands.

"Fine, whatever. You would probably crash and ruin all my hardwork with this", Lynn said before turning around and getting back to work on her track.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, it's just that I really need help with-"

"Go ask someone who cares", she interrupted him, throwing the snow onto the pile and pressing it down with the shovel to create a solid surface. She then moved towards her bobsled and placed it atop the new surface, making sure that it was even and it didn't fall to a side. "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be", she solemnly stated.

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? But this is important, I need to-"

He was interrupted by Lynn making the loudest and most obnoxious buzzer sound he had ever heard in his life.

"Not interested, Stinkoln. I'm busy. I gotta get my head in the game."

He sighed and threw his head back, doing his best to prepare himself. As tough, rough, and insensitive that Lynn tried to look like, he knew that, just like the rest of his sisters, she had a soft spot for certain subjects. He honestly didn't want to bring it up like this; he would've preferred to keep it secretive and ambiguous, but now he had no choice.

"It's… it's about Ronnie Anne", he confessed, looking at the snow beneath him.

He wasn't able to react. One moment he was standing there besides her, and the next one a shriek pierced his ears, a shovel went flying dangerously close to his head, and a pair of hands grabbed him, lifted him up and sat him inside the bobsleigh. By the time he managed to understand what was going on, Lynn was making herself comfortable sitting right in front of him, both of them in the small space the bobsled provided.

"Ooooh, hohohoho, you need to tell me EVERYTHING", she demanded, leaning forward and bobbing on her place with a cheshire smile.

There we go. She could pretend to be the president of Jock Nation all she wanted, but just mention some sort of girl-related issues and she would jump onto him like a fierce shark, fishing for all the information and details until there was nothing left for her to know.

Lincoln was slightly uncomfortable, cramped in that tiny space, knowing that he had no way of escaping and that he was now at her mercy. He needed all the help he could get, however, so he swallowed up his pride and, after sighing in a very Lucy-like manner, he spilled it all out.

He explained the situation as fast and concise as he could: Ronnie Anne was coming the next day, on Christmas Eve, and he wanted to have something ready for her, but problem was, he didn't know what to buy for her. Lynn barely even blinked as he narrated his issue, nodding her head in excitement with every sentence he said. She even let out a few "Aaws!" when he mentioned how he wanted this to be special.

"And so I was thinking", he finished, trying to get this over as quickly and efficiently as possible, "maybe you could… you know… Since you're a girl, and Ronnie Anne's a girl, and you like sports, and she likes sports, maybe you could help me figure out what I could get for her?"

He didn't really get to finish the question before Lynn started kicking and punching the air in excited motions, a reaction he knew was very consistent with the way she reacted whenever her favorite team scored a goal. She was silent this time, but her smile was starting to look painful, and he could almost see stars glowing inside her eyes, like firecrackers going off in there. When she was finally done with her celebrations, she punched her brother in the arm way harder than she should have.

"Lynn!" He complained, rubbing his arm once again. Not even his winter coat could protect him from her assault.

"Bro, I can't believe you're finally ready to have a girlfriend!" she squealed in a very non-Lynn way.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He retorted, his cheeks suddenly getting hot enough to melt the snow around him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Romeo", she said, brushing him off with a wave of her hand. Shortly after, she couldn't help but giggle and throw an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close enough to give him a playful noogie. "Lil' bro's growing up so fast!"

He struggled against her grip, losing his hat and feeling the pain of Lynn's knuckles against his scalp, until he was finally able to push her away.

"Lynn, I'm serious!" He said, fuming at her as he tried to fix his hair. "Ronnie Anne is my friend and she means a lot to me! I want to give her a present because this is the first Christmas she's going to spend away from Royal Woods, away from all her friends, so I want her to have something to help her feel close to us! If you can't help me, then just say so and I'll go somewhere else to look for an answer."

The jubilant expression on her sister's face faded away faster than The Winter Soldier after the Snap.

"Lincoln, I…" She hesitated for a moment before hitting herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand. "Sorry. My B. I'm just so excited for you", she added, and she was about to punch him once again on his now wounded shoulder, but she stopped herself before going forward with it. "But alright. I guess it's Big Sis time. Don't worry, Lincoln, you were right to make me your first choice of advice."

"To be perfectly frank, this wasn't a premeditated-"

"Everyone's going to tell you to buy her flowers, or buy her chocolates, or buy her some silly necklace with your initials inside a heart", she listed with disdain, grimacing and making fake puking faces, "but trust me, _that's_ our sisters being all lovey-dovey and wanting their little Prince Charming to make them feel like princesses, and between you and me, Linc, we know you ain't no Prince Charming."

"Wow, thanks."

"But hear me out, from what I've heard you saying about her and the things we've all eavesdropped on you when you're talking with Clyde-"

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

"-I can tell that she's sort of like me", she continued, paying no mind to Lincoln's outburst, "a winner, a tough one, a girl that doesn't want a Prince Charming to treat her like a Disney princess. We don't need to be treated like that! We want someone who can keep up with us, someone whom we can have some fun with!"

"Alright, alright, pause, _momento_ ", he said, raising his palms to stop her. "What does that mean? What do you think I should buy her?"

"Don't buy her something that says 'Oh, hey, I watched a romantic movie once'. It feels… I don't know, uninspired? If a guy buys me the most boringly-common romantic present in the world, it's not really saying much. It's like he doesn't really care! Do something special, alright? Show her that you're willing to get out of your comfort zone for her, that you REALLY care about her enough to do something unique and that you wouldn't do for anyone else or on your own. Oh! I know, I know!" She said, bouncing on her place. "Take her to the lake and ice-skate with her! Tell her that's your present!"

"Ice-skating?" He said, his face suddenly making the best Beaker impression. "Lynn, I don't even know how to do that, I would make a fool out of myself!"

"That's the point! Show her that you care about her so much that you're willing to try something new. If you ask me, that's what a good couple needs: both partners going an extra mile to improve and show each other that they can try new things for them!"

"We're _not_ a couple!"

"You get the point, bro. Take her somewhere else if you want. Play some bowling, go to a paddle court, take her to do some roller derby if you want, I'll even let you use my lucky rollers!" She offered, with excitement drenching her every word. After a few second, though, she let out a big sigh and gently placed a hand on his right shoulder, the one she'd been punching for the past couple of minutes, and gave it a soft squeeze. "Just trust in Lynnsanity for once, Linc. I wouldn't tell you this if I wasn't one hundred and ten percent sure that this is what I truly consider the best option. I want to see you happy, bro! I wanna help you do something meaningful for her. I think that this is your best chance to hit it out of the park and get yourself a homerun."

It was weird to listen to his sister, Lynn Jr, LJ, Lynnsanity herself, speaking with such… softness, care, and honesty in her voice. He of course could never forget that she loved him and cared for him as much as everyone else —there was an argument to be made that she in fact acted more overprotective than the rest of his sisters, like when she tried to make sure that he wouldn't go through Middle School hell like she had—, but it was truly a blessing to have her break her shell and show him those feelings, no masks or acting in the middle.

"Alright, thanks Lynn."

She smiled at him and opened both arms. A single tear could've fell from his left eye when he saw the gesture. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, ready to accept her warm embrace.

That was all the distraction she needed to quickly grapple him, turn him around, and yell "SUPLEX!" before burying him head first into the snow on the side of the bobsled.

"WOO HOO! CAMPEONA DEL MUNDO! LASHLYNN! LASHLYNN! LASHLYNN!" She screamed, celebrating and faking the sounds of a raging crowd cheering for her.

Lincoln took his head out of the snow and gave her a glare. He couldn't be _totally_ mad at her… but he was pretty mad at the moment.

"Alright, let's not get mushy, Romeo", she said, getting up and cracking her knuckles. "Wanna help me finish the track so we can take a few rounds on it? I'll even let you be the pusher if you prove yourself worthy."

It was just like their whole conversation had never happened.

"No, uh, I need to do a lot of thinking", he said, brushing the snow out of his already white hair.

"Alright, fair enough. I guess the glory will be all for LJ. See ya later, Linc."

He started to walk away from her, still trying to get the last pieces of snow out of his neck before they fell inside his clothes and touched his back, when he decided to stop.

"Hey, Lynn?"

"Sup?"

"Thanks."

She had her back against him, but his high Perception roll allowed him to take notice of the sheepish smile that she was trying to hide.

"Don't even mention it, lame-o", she added as she pretended to be fully focused on finishing the track.

Lincoln wandered his way around the perimeter of the house, working the last kink out of his neck from Lynn's suplex as he allowed his mind to return to back to the future.

"Alright, Operation _Think Of What The Heck To Get Ronnie Anne For Christmas Before Tomorrow And Also Think Of A Shorter Name For This Operation_ is still a go", he thought aloud the way he was known to do when he was alone.

He thoughtfully pressed his finger to his chin as he approached the east side of the house, but it became harder to focus as the hills became alive with the sound of music. From the garage, so it seemed.

It had his curiosity, but then it caught his attention as he crept over to the window to have a gander inside.

And there she was, in all of her purple clad glory. Despite being his sister of fifteen years, and knowing full well she was just another everyday average Jane like anyone else in his life, she still managed to incite his awe every time she wielded an axe. Every time she tapped her finger to the mic. Every time she took a breath as that purple Sterrett amplifier steadily rung before doing what she did best.

Luna Loud was a rock star, and she was about to prove it. Not for him, not for the world… but for _herself._

She began arpeggiating a chord to the familiar melody of one on her favorite power ballads, a song Lincoln could instantly recognize as the very same tune Mom and Dad would put on in the car one fateful day that changed his view on the band called Aerosmith forever.

And Luna did Steven Tyler justice.

 _Is it oooooooooveeeer?  
_ _Yeah it's over, and I'm blowing out the flame!  
_ _Take a walk outside your mind  
_ _Tell me how it feels to be, the one who turns the knife inside of me!  
_ _Take a look and you will find  
_ _There's nothing there girl, yeah, I swear  
_ _I'm tellin' you girl, yeah-  
_ _Cause there's a hole in my soul!  
_ _That's been killin' me forever!  
_ _It's a place where a garden never grows!  
_ _There's a hole, in my soul!  
_ _Yeah I should have, known better!  
_ _Cause your love, is like a thorn without a rose...  
_ _Yeah… YEEEEEAAAAAHHH!_

By the time she had finished, Lincoln was at the garage door, a shamelessly happy grin on his face. As Luna noticed him, he began applauding her.

"Woo! Alright, Luna!" he cheered while clapping.

The resident rocker did a little bow to play along. "Thank you, thank you. I'm here all week."

He allowed the electricity to linger in the air before deciding to engage in some more casual conversation.

"That was awesome, as always. But why aren't you singing a Christmas carol? It's only two days away," he asked.

Luna shrugged as she put her prized Shredder to the side. "Eh, people get tired of hearing so much about carols."

"Since when do you care what people think?" Lincoln joked in response.

"I don't," she replied with a little smile and wink. She then took a seat on top of her amp, and nodded at him to take a seat himself. "So what's new, Scooby Doo? Thinking about what you wanna get Jared for Christmas?" she teased.

He couldn't even laugh at that. Screw Jared. "Very funny," he remarked, choosing to stand for now. His calm and collected demeanor began to shift into something more tense though as it dawned on him once again just what brought him here in the first place. "Actually, it _is_ funny you mention presents…"

Luna smirked at that. "It's okay, bro. I'll figure out what to get you as soon as I get done shopping for Sam. I think I'll get her some Pokemon cards."

"Ok, no, Luna, jokes aside, I really have a problem," Lincoln asserted.

His sister deflated a bit with a slight sigh. "Everybody wants to rule the world… Alright, White Zombie, what's the dealio?"

Just like with Lisa and Lynn, he proceeded to elaborate on the situation in need of an operation. his sister paid close attention, choosing to embrace the sound of silence as she allowed him to say everything he needed to.

The boy drew a heavy breath as he finished with, "And now I really need to think of something to give Ronnie Anne, or I'm going to look like an idiot…"

The girl with the crazy rock and roll dream finally spoke up again. "Well, one thing's for certain, you're nobody's fool," she assured him with a comforting smile. She then picked her purple guitar back up, and began lazily strumming the strings and tinkering with the tuning pegs as she thought of ways to help Lincoln find the gift that would keep on giving.

"Hmmm, let me ask you something. You have friends who are girls. What do you think they would like?"

Lincoln's face confusedly grimaced at that. He had friends who were girls. But they weren't Ronnie Anne…

He straightened himself back up as he composed a response that would best convey that. Without making him look _too_ much like a spaz, of course.

"I mean, yeah, I could maybe ask Girl Jordan or Stella about what to get her. But they're about as useless with this stuff as say… you and Sam, if you get my drift."

She couldn't help herself. Years of boarding with Luan took a toll on her, and this was just one of those moments where she had to release the Dave Grohl demon inside of her. She began sliding her fingers along her fretboard, picking along to emulate the saxophone intro of _Careless Whisper._

Lincoln frowned. "Luna!"

His sister laughed as she stopped playing. "Forgive me, dude. It was just too good to pass up. Nice meme."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm telling Luan you stole her joke."

"Bury me, bury me," she simply retorted before shaking herself of the sophomoric silliness in favor of living up to her self-appointed title of Dr. Love. "Okay, real talk for a sec. I could give you a lot of suggestions."

"Really? Like what?!" he animatedly asked, practically leaping forward.

"You could write her a song, I could even help you," Luna suggested with a shrug.

Lincoln considered it, but shook his head. "No, I don't have enough time. I'd want it to be perfect, and twenty four hours just won't cut it."

His sister amusedly grinned at that, but decided not to harp on it. "Okay. Well maybe you could sit down and make her a mixtape. You know, pick out some of her favorite songs and what not. She's an Oingo Boingo fan I think."

Like before, he declined. But this time, he seemed even more disappointed in himself and his ability to deliver as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down to the floor. "I should probably think of something a little more… meaningful…"

Luna noticed she wasn't helping, and decided it was time to rewind and choose another option. This was not a funeral with mourners in a line. She hated seeing her little brother like that. She stood up, put her guitar to the side, and paced over to stand beside her little brother.

"Lincoln, you remember when I asked you to help me buy that sweaty Mick Swagger tee?" she recalled.

"Yeah. I remember that. Whatever happened to that thing?" the confused boy inquired.

"Heh, it's in Vanzilla," she said as she pointed back to the family van. "Long story short, Lori was in here talking about how much she loved the van, picking names out for it 'n stuff, and I just wanted to sneak out before it got any weirder." She then leaned in and whispered into his ear, "She calls it Valerie."

Lincoln just blinked with bewilderment, but decided it was probably best to just leave this alone… forever.

"Okay? Uh, you were saying something about back when I helped you buy that shirt?"

"Right," his sister continued. "Okay, so I remember it so well because it was one of our better stories as a family-"

"Lisa doesn't think so," he commented.

"Well I think so, and you wanna know why?" Luna proceeded.

Lincoln responded with a simple raise of the eyebrow, and she took a knee to meet her brother's eye level now.

"I remember you telling me and the girls to play to our strengths. You went out of your way to make sure each and every one of us got the help we needed, keeping in mind that we all got our own different grooves," she happily explained.

Lincoln's somber tone ebbed as he met Luna's eyes now, clinging on to every word she had to offer him.

"My point is, dude: there's a reason we think you're the best dang brother anywhere around. And there's a reason Ronnie Anne likes you so much," she said with a teasing little knuckle to his cheek.

Lincoln rubbed the now tender spot with his hand, but he didn't mind the little smile creeping up on his own face. "And uh… what do you think that is?"

Luna now stood up back to her feet, making her confidence conspicuous with the way she held her posture. "You'll figure it all out, man. I know you can. You just gotta play to your strengths," she answered. She then went back to having a seat on her amp, and picked up her guitar to begin toying with it once more.

She noticed the way Lincoln ideled before her, thinking hard about everything she (and unbeknownst to her, what Lisa and Lynn) had to offer him.

"Did that help, little bro?" she asked.

Lincoln smiled at her. "Yeah. Yeah, I think it did."

Luna smiled back, but chose to say nothing. Instead she focused on her guitar as she thought of what to play next.

With newfound perspectives from Luna, Lynn, and Lisa, Lincoln felt greater confidence in himself. He felt like with a little luck and a little hard work, he would be able to find the perfect gift for Ronnie Anne after all.

However, as he left the garage so that Luna could go back to singing for herself and "Valerie," seeds of doubt once again began to plant their way in his eleven year old mind.

"I need to play to my strengths, give my one hundred and ten percent to show her that I'm willing to go the distance for her, _and_ do something practical," he thought aloud. "Man, I know they were just trying to help, but I still feel stuck."

Just then, his tummy began to rumble and growl. He considered that maybe he just heard Mr. Grouse making old man noises, but no, his mind began to wonder to food. He was hungry.

"I think I'll go inside and have a snack. Maybe that will help me figure this thing out."

The closer he got to the kitchen, the worse it got. The grumbling in his stomach was almost torture now, like seeing people's overly critical Tweets about ARGGH Season 4. It didn't help that as he stepped through the front door of his house, the smell of Lynn Sr's delicious cooking lingered its way into his sniffer.

"Oh man… That smells good," he thought out loud after taking off his winter clothes.

"It is good. And you should really stop talking to yourself so much," he heard his oldest sister Lori say, and he looked to the couch to see her watching TV and finishing her supper, having changing her attire to pridefully showcase her favorite blue sweater with a howling wolf.

She seemed to be watching a show about a girl dressed as a ladybug and a boy dressed as a cat, but Lincoln could care less about people in tight spandex for once. What really caught his eye was the dish before Lori, and the fact that for whatever reason, it had nothing but corn on it. Of all the vegetables to enjoy and take time to appreciate, Lori seemed intent on only enjoying the _one._

But in this moment, Lincoln was perfectly happy with that. Nothing else mattered but his corny sister.

"Uhm, Lori… please tell me there's more-" he began, but he didn't need to continue once he saw his sister reveal another plate of food, this one full of all sorts of delicious delicacies, seemingly made just for him.

"Don't worry, I went through the trouble of making you a plate. You know, because I'm literally the best sister you could ask for," she teasingly said.

Lincoln grinned at that. "Alright, but don't tell the others," he joked before he went to join her on the couch. She shut off the TV as she felt her brother's weight dip on the cushion, deciding to savor each other's company over mind numbing television. Lori could be needlessly snide sometimes, but more often than not, she was truly a kindred spirit.

"So, what'd you and Bobby talk about?" she started with an inquisitively sly smirk.

Oh, that's right, he almost forgot he was in the middle of an existential crisis.

He scoffed down some of his dinner in an attempt to stall for time. He wasn't so stupid to tell her about Bobby's gift, of course he wasn't. What really had him so scatterbrained was what they actually talked about: Ronnie Anne.

The boy let out a defeated sigh after swallowing his food. "We uh… We talked about Ronnie Anne," he admitted, and unsurprisingly, Lori responded with the following.

"Yeah? Soooo? Is she coming with him tomorrow?" she drew out with hearts pretty much taking shape in her eyes.

Lincoln couldn't get as excited as he'd like to at the prospect. Not after what Bobby showed him. "You say that like you don't already know the answer," he remarked, but he felt a hint of guilt for phrasing it that way. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get an attitude."

Lori's enthusiasm curbed upon seeing her brother's mood shift. "Did something happen, Lincoln? Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

For a moment, Lincoln considered the options. He could have just brushed it off and told her everything was alright, and avoid yet _another_ discussion about what to get Ronnie Anne with one of his sisters. But that seemed unhealthy. He was under so much pressure and stress that, in the end, he decided it was just best to vent. At the very least, maybe he'd feel better.

"I want to be, really," Lincoln confessed, his eyes failing to look up from the ground. This wasn't just embarrassing, but it also hurt. Ronnie Anne was someone he cared a lot about. And while the others knew her name and her face, they didn't really know her the way he and Lori did.

"Alright, well, here's the thing," he began, mustering the courage to at least meet his sister's eyes as he spoke to her. He could see the empathy in them. In a strange way, it made this easier and yet more difficult all the same. "Something- something reminded me that I haven't even thought to get Ronnie Anne a Christmas present. It's just... it's been so long since I've seen her, you know?" he attempted to rationalize as he rubbed the back of his neck.

His sister simply watched with attentiveness, choosing to stay quiet until he finished everything he had to say.

So he kept going. "I mean, I know I just now learned about her coming to town, but I feel like I should've thought about this possibility before. Still, she's coming, that's a fact, and I want to make something special for her. Because… well… I don't want her to forget me… or move on from me…"

Hearing those words made Lori's heart sink. It was at that very moment that she could stay silent no longer. She had to say something, _anything_ to help her only brother.

"Lincoln, listen to me," she instructed as she put a hand on his shoulder.

She firmly looked into his eyes as she allowed the words to simply flow to her, without over analyzation or second thought. She would speak from the heart. It was what she knew best.

"Ronnie Anne definitely cares about you. Never doubt that. You guys talk almost every day, and Bobby always tells me that she asks about you when we're talking. She could never forget you."

Lincoln met her statement without change. He still felt really crummy for allowing himself to get into this position, and it was obvious in the way his glossy eyes looked back to her with so much anguish in them.

For Lori, it was just more motivation to find the perfect thing to say.

"Okay, you know what Lincoln? You have nothing to be sorry for," she bluntly stated. "Not only did you have no idea she'd be coming, but you've done so much for Ronnie Anne. You gave her that hoodie the last time we went to the city! Heck, you guys webchat all the time! And the fact that you're worrying so much about this with such short notice really speaks a lot about the type of boy that you are; a caring, attentive, amazing guy. She isn't going to forget about you anytime soon, Romeo," she playfully said before getting serious again.

"But you know what Ronnie Anne remembers most about our visit to the city?"

Lincoln wondered what point she was getting at for a second. "What?"

He received the warmest smile she could muster. "She remembers _you,_ Lincoln. The hoodie was just a souvenir. What really matters is that you were thinking of her, and you wanted to give her something special with her in mind."

She removed her hand from his shoulder, but the smile on her face refused to wane as she glanced down at her sweater, the very same one Bobby gifted to her with the same sentiments she spoke of.

"So you know what? Keep that in mind tomorrow. Maybe you can find her something cool to help her remember this. But what I'd really worry about is just showing her a good time. And Lincoln?"

"Yeah?" he said, making it obvious with the way he looked to his sister that he was hanging on to every word she had to say.

"If I know anything, it's that you're more than capable of making her feel special."

That did it. That was what Lincoln really needed to hear. Sure, the other girls had great advice, and he'd cherish their time and effort. But nothing resonated quite like what Lori just said to him.

She could be right. Maybe all that really mattered was showing Ronnie Anne a good time, and making her feel like the girl she deserved to feel like. And maybe that didn't come with brass rings or fancy snow globes. (Okay, Lincoln would always lowkey be envious of Bobby's amazing gift, but he'd get over it). Maybe he'd find something interesting or unique to treat her with, but he decided right then and there that that wasn't what really mattered. What he really needed to do for Ronnie Anne this Christmas was remind her he cared about her. A whole heck of a lot.

He met Lori with a warm smile. There were times it could be hard for him to show such sentimentality, what with the rough and tumble nature of the Loud house. But for once, he didn't care about that. He wanted Lori to know he was grateful, and that he cared a lot about her as well.

"Thank you. I really needed to hear all of that."

Lori smiled back, and affectionately patted his leg as she stood up.

"I hope it helps," she said before making her way over to adjust Lincoln's stocking on the wall. It seemed a little out of shape. She wanted to fix that.

"Besides, it's the most wonderful time of the year," she added as she focused on the stocking. "I'm sure tomorrow will be a great day for all of us."

She looked back to him with the same smile, and for a moment, the two of them just met one another with mutual appreciation. For every thing Lori did for Lincoln, she knew he'd do his best to be there for her just the same. He'd do it for all of his siblings, for all of his loved ones.

For a certain little girl that'd be coming into town the next day.

Deciding it was time to let her return to her program and get prepared for Christmas Eve, Lincoln stood up from the couch and collected his plate of now lukewarm food to head elsewhere. "Well, I guess I should go and get things ready for tomorrow. I'll let you get back to your 'OTP' show or whatever it was," he said a little teasingly, but a lot lovingly.

Lori played along with a shake of the head. "Whatever. Get out of here, twerp."

It was all in good fun, and they loved that. In fact, Lincoln concluded that it was the perfect way to end this encounter. Literally, as Lori would say.

However…

"Uhm, Lincoln?" she uttered before he could go too far.

He looked to his sister with doe eyes. "Yeah?"

The blonde steeled herself for a moment, but decided she was comfortable enough asking what she needed to say.

"What made you think of all of this, anyway?" she asked. "You know, getting Ronnie Anne something special?"

Lincoln amusedly huffed to himself as he thought of just how to answer that. It didn't take him long though. He learned a thing or two about tactfulness from his oldest sister.

"I just saw something really awesome, that's all."

His answer was sufficient. With that, the two of them smiled at one another once more, and Lori went back to watching her show, eating her corn, and singing the praises of her phone plan for her and Bobby.

And Lincoln? He marched his way upstairs (after putting away his dish like a good boy) and into his bedroom. He had a very important mission ahead of him.

Operation: Give Ronnie Anne the best Christmas ever.


	2. Una Navidad Juntos

**Christmas Most Wanted  
** **Part II:  
** **Una Navidad Juntos**

.

Much like the white December snow that blanketed Royal Woods, Lincoln's excitement for his reunion with Ronnie Anne hadn't gone away. In fact, from the moment he opened his eyes on Christmas Eve morning, it had all but snowballed to the point where it was overflowing from his eleven year old heart like Lionel Richie sang about.

He was nervous, obviously. Nothing had changed in the last twenty four hours between he and Ronnie Anne. She was still the person he thought about going to sleep at night, the girl he could trust to be there for him no matter what, the one he'd walk all the way to Great Lakes City to at a moment's notice if he had to to make sure she was okay.

And the girl he forgot to get a stinkin' Christmas gift for.

"No, I can't think like that," he cussed at himself as those thoughts began flooding his mind. "I have to remember all the things the girls told me, especially Lori. If I keep worrying about what to get her, I'll just keep myself from having a good time with her… I don't want to have a repeat of what happened the last time we went to the city. I just want us to have fun, however she wants us to."

He sat alone in his empty room, just watching the hours tick by. Until eventually, Lucy tapped on the grate of his ventilation shaft to get his attention and break him of his self-induced spell.

"Lincoln, Bobby and Ronnie Anne just showed up. Lori's greeting them at the front door as I speak," she told him with her usual melancholy tone of voice.

The boy sprang out of bed in a hurry. "Ronnie Anne!" he blurted out before rushing over to his door to make his way out and down to the living room. He turned himself back around real quick though to leave Lucy with one remark.

"Uh, Lucy… You really shouldn't lurk like that. It's kind of weird," he told her before going back to his business.

Lucy considered how to respond to such an accusation. She had to say something intelligent, something irrefutable. Something to really stick it to him that he couldn't possibly trump.

"No, you."

Lincoln ignored her, because he was too busy fumbling over his own feet as he crashed into the normally crowded hall to make his way down to the incoming guests. He didn't want to seem like he didn't care by not being there when they showed up. Then again, he didn't want to be too spazzy for waiting at the front door like some desperate puppy dog. Was it too late to go comb his turkey tail one more time? Was he wearing a decent shirt? Ronnie Anne liked his orange polo, didn't she? He knew she liked orange popsicles at least… And the one kid from that Welcome to the Wayne show.

His ears picked up on the sound of someone, presumably Lori, opening the front door to the house.

" _Dang it, Lincoln. No more time to think! Just get down there and say hi!_ "

With the speed of a whisp, he flurried down the stairs, just quick enough to make it down as Lori fully opened the door to reveal none other than Bobby Santiago, and his little sister Ronnie Anne.

He probably shouldn't have stared at her the way he did, but he was too paralyzed to really do anything about it. There she was, standing there in her purple (the color of royalty) winter coat, shivering a little shiver and burring a little "bur!" with a smile on her face as she stepped foot inside the Loud house. To some, it probably wasn't a big deal when that happened. To him, it was bigger than the first step on the moon. One small step for Ronnie Anne, one giant leap for his flustered heart. Bobby, Lori, and the rest of the world may as well have been invisible. All he needed to see right now… was her.

And while Lincoln lost himself thinking about the girl beside Bobby, that young man lost himself meeting the gaze of his one true love. "Hello, sunshine," he greeted with a suave smile on his bronze face.

"Bobby, my love!" Lori swooned before allowing herself to be taken into his big, strong arms for a great big hug, followed by a passionate kiss.

And for a split second, Lincoln was able to pull his white hair out of his warren to acknowledge the display of affection from the happy couple. They were awesome, they were happy. That made him happy.

But what made him even happier was that, when he looked back to Ronnie Anne, she just happened to turn her head to look to him. She pulled down the hood of her coat to reveal her shiny raven hair pulled back into her signature ponytail. She shook her head a little bit to really free herself and get comfortable, then looked to Lincoln with her enchanting brown eyes. And of course, a little smile stretched across her face, complementing those adorable freckles of hers that he'd come to love.

He loved… a lot of things about her. So much so, that he wasn't able to really think this through. Was she supposed to say hi first? Or was he? And if it was her, why hadn't she yet? But maybe it was him, and he was weird for taking so much time to think of what to say to her!

He had to say something! It was too risky to let things get awkward so soon! So, without even really thinking about it, he cooly smiled back, and uttered:

"Hello there."

He saw her raising an eyebrow at that. It was at that moment when Lincoln realized that what he had said was literally the stupidest thing to ever come out of his mouth.

" _Lincoln, what the actual heck? Of all the things I could have said to her, I said-"_

"Ah! General Lame-Obi!" she greeted back with a playfully boastful demeanor. "You _are_ a bold one!"

Seeing the way she had fun just then helped ease his concerned mind just enough to stop worrying, even if just for a moment to appreciate that she was actually there. It became even easier as she approached him, and offered him a loving little jab on the arm.

"What's new, dork?" she followed up with the same smirk as before.

Yup. Ronnie Anne was here. And fortunately, she hadn't changed one bit.

Lincoln rubbed the tender spot on his arm as he laughed a weak little laugh. "Oh, you know. Being everyone's favorite brother. What's new with you?" he joked.

She playfully raised a brow. "Pffft, yeah, sounds new. Since when are you anyone's favorite anything?"

Man, it was good to have her back.

He shrugged a little shrug. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm your favorite bully."

"Yeah, you got me there. But only because you let me bully you back," Ronnie Anne teased before ebbing a bit in favor of sincerity. "I've been good. How are you?"

"I'm good," Lincoln simply answered. And despite the tumultuous turn of events that led to this moment, that much was certainly true. He was good. He was with her again, after all.

"Heh heh… good," she somewhat skittishly responded as she rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. Maybe Lincoln's mind was playing tricks on him, but she sort of looked like she was a little flustered about all of this too. Maybe.

And while Lori and her precious Bobby Boo Boo Bear had come to proclaim their undying love to one another during their younger siblings' witty exchange, they decided it was time to come back down from cloud nine to address the others. He turned to Lincoln, she turned to Ronnie Anne.

"Hey bro!" Bobby told him before extending his hand to engage in their elaborate bro handshake.

"Hey man!" Lincoln responded before slapping him five, bumping him fist, and proceeding with several other hilarious shared hand gestures.

The ladies kept it a little more casual. "Hey, Ronnie Anne," Lori began. "Have you been keeping my Boo Boo Bear out of trouble?" she joked as she elbowed Bobby.

"Pffft… More like the other way around, honestly," Ronnie Anne said with a grin.

"That's good," Lori followed. "You look good. How was the drive?"

Ronnie Anne thought it over for a moment before her eyes found their way towards Lincoln. Her grin widened and she nodded her head. "It was good. It gave me time to think about things."

Lincoln's heard sunk with the way she looked at him now. What did she mean by that? Was she talking about him? _Them?_

She then paced over to Lincoln a little more before slapping his elbow. "So white sauce, where's my present?" she asked with a teasing tone.

The poor boy froze in place as his heart went from his stomach to his throat. "Uhm. Present?"

She waited a few seconds before cracking up at his reaction. "I'm just messing with ya!" she assured him, but her face formed an almost devious little smirk afterwards. Was it her usual smirk, or was it something else? What did it mean? Maybe she wasn't just messing with him. Maybe she _did_ expect a present!

Thankfully, before he could say anything to really fool himself twice like Luan, Bobby perked up with a sudden burst of excitement.

"So babe! I had the perfect idea for how to spend the day together!"

Lori met his gesture with puppy eyes. "Did you? What is it?"

He grabbed his lover by the hands and looked into her eyes with the synergy of Firehouse. "Okay, so you remember how we always said we need to go to the park some time, and go to the gazebo to try and do that one thing?"

Lori could hardly contain her enthusiasm as she fawned over his words. Little cartoon hearts practically fluttered around her as she gasped. "Wait! You mean?!-"

"Uh huh!" Bobby affirmed.

And together, they cheered in unison:

"Go to the gazebo and reenact the Georg/Maria dancing scene from The Sound of Music!"

They were having so much fun spewing their lovey dovey mush all over the place, and it had only been a couple minutes. Meanwhile, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne could only watch with disgust before looking to each other to make sure that they weren't alone in their reactions.

Ronnie Anne stuck her tongue out pretending that she was about to barf, and Lincoln pinched his nose and acted like the place was _literally_ stinking up with the stuff.

It was a nice little distraction for him from the sense of dreadful panic that just a few minutes ago was threatening to consume him, and better yet, another nice reminder that Ronnie Anne was still Ronnie Anne.

"Oh my gosh! That is literally too perfect!" Lori squealed regarding Bobby's proposal. "Okay, let me go grab my coat, and we'll be on our way!"

Ronnie Anne raised a brow with confusion. "Uhm, wait a second. What about us?" she asked as she gestured to Lincoln.

Man, that was a question Lincoln asked himself one too many times over the years. _What about us? What about everything we've been through?_

The teenagers pondered the possibilities, and it was Lori who came up with a solution.

"I know!" she started as she raised a finger. "You two can just come with us!"

"Yeah! We've all hung out together before!" Bobby chirped. "Remember when we went to Jean Juan's French Mex buffet! I mean, it didn't go perfectly, but it was still fun!"

"Oh, I remember that night," Lori said with an alluring little grin as she glued her eyes to the eleven year olds.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both clammed up before simultaneously babbling about how it was a one time thing, and how they were just friends, and how they didn't need to explain themselves, because they just didn't!

Their older siblings simply laughed at their awkwardness.

"Okay, for real though. What do you guys say? Maybe we can all go get some Flippees, and then uh… Bobby and I can go to the gazebo, while you two catch up with one another."

Lincoln wanted to smack his older sister, but only for a moment before the annoyance was subjugated by this weird combination of dread and excitement. On one hand, he'd get Ronnie Anne all to himself, and he'd even have some time to ease into it if things worked out the way Lori was planning. On the other hand… he still didn't have any idea how to make this afternoon good for Ronnie Anne.

Being the stand up girl she was, his friend took it upon herself to answer on their behalf.

"You know, that actually sounds alright," she started. "I've kind of missed memeing about Flip, and _I guess_ I could spend some time with this jerk," she teased as she smiled at Lincoln.

He nervously laughed. "Oh, I've missed you too… Loser."

Was he trying too hard? He was probably trying too hard. He probably wouldn't need a coat today. He was already sweating enough.

"Alright! Sounds awesome!" Bobby cheered. "Hey, why don't you go get the truck warmed up, hermanita?" he instructed his little sister.

Ronnie Anne slightly scowled at him, but relaxed a little bit. "Alright, fine," she conceded before throwing her hood back up and making way to the outside. She stopped in her tracks to look back at Lincoln once more though, and offered him another little smirk.

"Better get a coat on, Linky," she said with a mocking baby voice, "wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

He feigned a little chuckle to hide the guilt and the worry, but he couldn't think of much else to respond with outside of just, "Yeah."

With that, Ronnie Anne made her way out to the truck, and Bobby and Lori shared a flirty little laugh before deciding to race each other up the stairs.

"I can make it there first," Bobby teased.

"No fair! These are _my_ stairs!" His girlfriend playfully complained before watching his derriere wiggle up the steps. She laughed to herself over all the fun she was already having, but found herself turning to check on Lincoln. He was a dead giveaway about his despondence with the way his cheeks flushed, while everything else stayed motionless.

"Hey, Lincoln?" she asked with a soothing voice.

He turned to face her, momentarily allowing himself to stop wallowing in his own doubts.

"This is gonna be a great day. Just keep thinking that," she told him with compassion in her eyes. She made a point to keep looking at him to make sure he would get the message, and once she was sure he was at least going to consider her words, she turned away to follow her boyfriend's footsteps.

Once alone, Lincoln took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down enough to be able to face the rest of this day with a somewhat leveled head.

"This is gonna be a great day, this is gonna be a great day," he repeated to himself before looking out the window to check on Ronnie Anne.

She sat in the driver's seat of her brother's truck, almost wistfully gazing out into the winter day around her. He wondered what she could be thinking about. Maybe it was how she missed Royal Woods, or maybe even how so many things had changed between now and last Christmas. Maybe she was just thinking about her family back in the city, or even her new friends and what all they were up to.

Heck, he didn't want to admit it, but he had a tiny bit of hope that maybe she was thinking about him, and what kind of things they'd do together over the next few hours. Maybe she was just happy to be here, carefree to all the specifics, just ready to go with the flow and let December 24th come with whatever may.

But maybe she was worried too. Maybe she was actually expecting a lot from him. Fun, laughter, the same Lincoln he'd worried about showing her before, the one who could actually be an alright guy sometimes. It scared him to think that there'd come a day she'd see more of what he was incapable of though, as opposed to the things he could offer her.

Heck, maybe he was just overthinking all of it.

He suddenly realized that he had been staring at her from his window for an extended period of time. If she saw him and his longing eyes fixed on her like a total weirdo he would never hear the end of it, so he decided to leave his house and march into the truck with the hopes that they could at least have a decent conversation. The dreadful thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for the past few minutes were still resonating though, and he came to a conclusion: if she was expecting nothing but the best dang Lincoln anywhere around, he'd try like hell to give it to her. He'd be the best version of himself, for her.

"Today's going to be a great day… Today's gonna be a great day…"

"I hope."

* * *

For a little under an hour, Lincoln, Lori, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne kept walking around the park, talking about nothing in particular, cracking jokes here and there whenever one of them walked right into one, bringing up random experiences from the past, sharing their expectations about upcoming movies ("Listen Lame-O, if the best thing a critic can say about _MermaidMan_ is that it's _enjoyable_ and a _top three_ _'we make bad movies extended universe'_ movie, then don't be surprised when you walk away from it being disappointed"), and stopping at any little landmark that would pique their curiosity. That's how they settled down under a beautiful naked tree to sit, chill, and talk until a bird almost pooped on Lincoln's hat, or how they decided to take a few risky steps on the frozen pond until a crack appeared on the surface and Lincoln let out a Lolaish cry before crawling back to safe ground.

Unfortunately, most of the talking was being done by Lori and Bobby. Lincoln wanted to find the right things to say to Ronnie Anne. He wanted to consider the possibilities about how to grant her the best Christmas ever. And yet, it just didn't seem like it was going to happen. Not with his own self doubts riddling him, and not with the opportunity to talk with her one-on-one being squandered by the conversation that was taking place...

"You know what the problem is, right?'"

"If you say what I think you're going to say-"

"She could have just put the termites in the trees. Five minutes to go take the little buggers and outside and go put them in the trees, and that whole fiasco would have been avoided! Not once, but twice!" Lori argued with her boyfriend regarding a certain situation that made her and her siblings out to be ruthless people.

"Ugh, I literally can't even," she added with rub of her temples.

Bobby couldn't help it. He had to laugh a little as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Babe, you're right. It was pretty crazy. But you know what? This just goes to show who the best big sister in the world is for being able to handle it all so maturely."

Lori melted at his smooth comeback. "Aww, Boo Boo Bear!"

Meanwhile, their respective younger brother and sister followed a comfortable distance behind down a street of cobblestone. Not only a comfortable distance away from Lori and Bobby, but from each other. Lincoln made an effort not to look to Ronnie Anne as he eyed the December day around him, and Ronnie Anne seemed to be in her own little world as she too focused on the winterfied Ketcham Park.

Not much was said between them since leaving the Loud house. Lori and Bobby sure weren't quiet; they were sure to talk about anything and everything from Ace Savvy AU's to Phil Collins. And they were considerate enough to call on Ronnie Anne when talking about CJ's food drive, just as they were when they asked Lincoln how he felt about rabbits.

"I don't like rabbits. They're course, and rough, and irritating, and get everywhere."

The remark _ironically_ got Ronnie Anne to laugh, and the two eleven year olds shared passing glances after. Unfortunately for him, it didn't last. His special friend made sure to turn her head away first to return her attention to the world outside her window, and Lincoln soon followed suit.

Since then, it had been a struggle. He really wanted to find something to talk about with her, but it just seemed like this time it was harder than usual. Not like whenever they would hang out together. Not like Thanksgiving. This time, he had pressure, and in a strange way, it also felt different. Maybe because, for the first time, he felt the need to impress her and not to just be himself.

The same sense of uncertainty followed him to the park and to this very moment where he walked alongside her, and frankly, it was getting even worse. In the car, there was an excuse. Lori and Bobby made it tough to get a word in, which worked both against Lincoln and for him in this case. But now the young adults were getting farther and farther ahead, and the silence between him and Ronnie Anne, a girl he considered to be one of his two very best friends, had become overbearing.

 _The heck with it, I have to say something. If you want to make this a good day, if you want to show Ronnie Anne a good time… You can't just be quiet all day._

Finally, Lincoln was about to open his mouth, ready to say something, and just as he finally gathered all the motivation, strength and mental preparation that he needed, Ronnie Anne decided to speak, still looking forward.

"You know what I miss about Royal Woods?"

Lincoln closed his mouth once again and was forced to use his mental capacity to compose a new statement.

"What?" he asked, looking at her.

She turned to face him now as well and a little smile crept on her face.

"Flip," she simply answered.

His curiosity was piqued. He certainly didn't expect to hear that.

"Flip?"

"Yup. Flip," Ronnie Anne continued. "Like, don't get me wrong. I like the city. I've gotten used to it. There's always so much happening, and so many places to go to! But, up there, it's like… everyone is kind of a jerk. Even the cats are kind of mean," she trailed off with a little chuckle.

It seemed at first that she was complaining, but as he stopped for a second to think about her way of expressing these thoughts, he realized that the way she carried herself didn't imply she hated it. She was almost speaking fondly of it all.

"Flip though, he's like the 'resident evil,' around here," she explained. "I can't think of too many other people who're as slimy as him."

Again, it was kind of humorous. She was actually referring to the man as a bad guy, and yet, she smiled fondly at the thought of his wacky antics. That, in return, made Lincoln smile too.

"Yeah, Flip is a real character. Dude needs to calm his tits," he joked, earning a laugh from Ronnie Anne.

"Don't let Lori hear you say that. You might get in trouble for saying a 'bad word.'"

"Hey, this isn't Tumblr. I can present a little nipple," he teased further.

"Eww, don't ever let me hear you say nipple again."

The two shared a laugh afterwards. And it felt… nice. Just a moment ago, it seemed like the weight of the world had been pressing on Lincoln Loud like Percy Jackson on the third book of the series. He wanted nothing more than to be like Spider-Man in issue #33 and break free from the crushing rubble. But now, it was almost silly to think about it. Here he was, just laughing and messing around with Ronnie Anne like so many times before.

Rather than allow the moment to pass him by though, he decided it was important to keep the ball rolling. He had to get his head in the game. And he knew just how to do it, too. He'd break out ol' reliable.

He watched Lori and Bobby for a moment, just paying attention to what the two of them had to say, and what they were fawning over now. Because, of course they would be. Anywhere they went, the place became a positivity corner.

Which was super easy to make fun of.

"Oh, Bobby. That is so not true. Carol is so much prettier than me…"

"Babe! I'm telling you, ask anyone around. They'll say what I already know. You're the most perfect girl in the world!"

Lincoln smirked at Ronnie Anne, who immediately picked up on what he was putting down.

"Oh my gosh. Gag me," she quipped with a mocking cringe.

"I know, right?" Lincoln agreed before clearing his throat for his best Bobby impression. "It's okay, Lori. I know you've been really mean and petty to your brother like fifty times since we started dating, but you make up for it by making the best cookies in town."

"Hey, let's not forget the talking to herself. And the farting," Ronnie Anne added.

In that moment, Lincoln realized something. He cared a lot about Lori. Enough that he could make fun of her, just like he could Luna, Lola, or any of his other sisters.

He cared a lot about Ronnie Anne too, though…

He met her with feigned chagrin before getting on to her. "Hey, that's my sister. And I'm pretty sure you know a thing or two about talking to yourself."

Ronnie Anne met him with an inquisitive glare, but the moment her eyes met his, she knew just what was going on. She wouldn't fall for it, either. Two could play at that game.

"Oh, right," she said before imitating Lincoln with petulance. "Oh Ronnie Anne, I know you're going to be going away for a while. Let me tell you a secret about how not to feel like such a total lame-o like _meeeee."_

Lincoln laughed. "Oh, okay. I'm a lame-o, huh?"

"Always have been. Always will be," Ronnie Anne stated with pride.

Dang it, she was relentless. Just a few seconds into the banter, and he was already running out of steam. He had to say something, something that would really put her in her place and make her see he had the infinity stone of witty comebacks.

And he knew just what.

"No you."

Ronnie Anne guffawed at his blatantly bad attempt to get back at her. It was stupid, but it was good enough to make her find amusement. "Yeah, my point exactly."

They took a moment to let their laugh boxes rest. Their eyes again wandered away from each other, instead looking to the world all around them. Lincoln could feel his little heart racing faster than usual in his chest. This time, it wasn't because things were troublesome. In fact, he really liked the way this felt. It was fun, it was comforting. At the same time, it was a little scary though. Could he really keep this up? And, if he couldn't… would Ronnie Anne be disappointed?

He knew he would be.

He couldn't dwell on his insecurities and fears for long, because soon a familiar voice echoed from the distance, causing Lincoln to snap back to reality. Oh, there goes gravity. He looked over to the source of the commotion, where he saw none other than Flip caterwauling on about his so-called 'steals and deals.'

"Get your Christmas special Flippees! One for three dollars, four for fifteen!"

"Ooo! Flippees!" Lori gushed like the fruity concoctions being sold. She then alluringly batted her eyes at her boyfriend. "Bobby… Didn't you say you'd treat us to some Flippees?"

"Totally, babe. You know the rules. And so do I," he affirmed as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

Ronnie Anne simply followed suit as she put her hands into her hoodie pocket for warmth. She rolled her eyes though as they drew nearer to the food cart where the mustachioed man sold his drinks.

Bobby scrutinized the sign with the prices at Flip's cart, thinking over the math in his head. Too bad he didn't study for accounting very much. He paid the inconvenient offer and happily distributed the four Flippees. The other three thanked him and gracefully drank Royal Wood's most famous and infamous drink as they continued walking.

Lincoln was once again embarrassed when he drank so much that he suffered brain freeze, causing everyone to laugh at him. He wanted to glare at them, but he was too busy trying to make the sinting pain go away. His mood was only slightly improved when Lori suffered a brain freeze of her own.

"I guess it's true what they say", he managed to say after recovering his ability to speak, "revenge is a dish best served _cold_."

Bobby spat his drink and started laughing hysterically, which made Lincoln feel a lot better. Somewhere in Royal Woods, Luan would be feeling proud.

"That was the lamest thing you've ever said, lame-o", Ronnie Anne said, although she couldn't keep the corner of her lips from pointing up in a discreet smile.

They kept walking, with Lori complaining about the literally stupid Flippee and how overpriced they were, until Bobby saw their destination finally approaching.

"Hey babe," he began, cupping his hand under her chin to gently make her face him. "I think the gazebo is available now."

With just that simple statement, Lori was now completely free of the momentary anger that had tainted her mood. Once again, she was ready to enjoy this Christmas Eve with her beloved Bobby Boo Boo Bear without a care in the world.

"The captain Von Trapp to my Maria," Lori swooned as she slipped her hand into his.

With that, the happy couple looked upon their respective siblings. "Well you two, we're gonna be heading that way. I mean, you're more than welcome to come watch us, if you really want to," Lori joked.

Both Ronnie Anne and Lincoln nervously rubbed their necks as they babbled on excuses about how it was okay, that they were fine just hanging out here.

The older couple smiled at that, and then to each other before turning around to make way for the gazebo. Lori looked back one last time though, and directed her warm feelings to her brother with just a look.

He saw it, and he reciprocated it with just a little wave. He knew one day she'd take a leave like this with Bobby again, one that would change their lives forever when she was ready to move on from 1216 Franklin Avenue. He also knew, deep down, that he would take it the hardest.

But as she faced forward once again and leaned her head against her suitor's shoulder, he reminded himself that that day was yet to happen. Today, she would come back home. Today, he had someone else to focus his energy on. Someone who wouldn't be there tomorrow, someone who he had to ensure would remember this day.

He looked to her, catching her staring at the couple almost exactly the same way he was. Maybe she was thinking the same things, maybe not. Maybe she was just still ticked about Flip's swindle, but he chose to believe, at least for his own sake, that she was feeling sentimental too. Even if she wouldn't say it.

Finally, she returned the gaze. He felt himself tense up a little with the realization that, for the first time in forever, they were alone. Just the two of them.

For a little while, they just stared at one another, studying the stress marks around each other's eyes. For Lincoln, he had to guess she was just tired. She had a long drive. They'd done quite a bit of walking. But then he wondered… What did she think of his? Did she see that he wanted nothing more than to impress her and turn every little thing into a memorable moment, but it was all somehow failing and making him look like an idiot?

As his mind wandered to these thoughts, Ronnie Anne looked away from him, and he followed her eyes. Fluttering through the sky, just a few feet away from them, was a butterfly. It had orange and purple marking speckled across its wings, and in a way, it felt like some Life is Strange earth-shattering moment of endless beauty, a frozen frame of marvel in the history of the universe.

"That's pretty awesome," he thoughtlessly uttered.

Ronnie Anne noticed him, and a smile stretched across her face. Lincoln could feel her gaze piercing him once again though, and made an effort to look back to her.

"I like Ladybugs better," she joked.

With just one statement from her, and what felt like one sign from the universe… He felt at ease. At least for the moment.

Again, Ronnie Anne was quiet for a few seconds, but rather than letting their rapport take pause again, she took it upon herself to initiate more conversation.

"Man, that was such a ripoff!" she complained, pointing over to Flip and his three dorky customers. "He was totally chill last Thanksgiving, but he was a total Scrooge just now."

Lincoln knew what was going on. She probably didn't even feel that strongly about the whole ordeal. But, he appreciated that she was here now, and that they at least weren't punishing themselves with awkward silence. "You know how amazing his Flippees are though. Me and Clyde actually worked for him once. His unlimited refill Flippees were too good to pass up," he casually responded, trying to accentuate the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? What's the story behind that?"

"Well, it wasn't one of our most exciting adventures, but he was at the annual internship fair at school, and we got hired real quick. He said if one of us worked hard enough, we could get promoted and win the unlimited refill cup. But of course, it was a total scam, and he was just getting us to kiss his shoes."

"Gee, sounds like him," Ronnie Anne scoffed.

"But it's not all bad! We totally exposed him with all the security footage! He was soaking his feet in the nacho cheese dispenser!" Lincoln recalled with a grimace.

The girl looked to him with a cringe of her own."Why am I not surprised?… "

"It's one of the many gross things about Flip. Clyde refuses to go to his store now."

She started laughing at that. They kept walking along the trail, not really minding the world surrounding them. For now, it was okay just to worry about one another.

"Speaking of Clyde, how's he doing lately?" She inquired after a moment.

"Oh, he's been really getting into Cuphead. Every time I go to his place, he's always dying on the computer," Lincoln laughed.

"What happened to him playing Hearthstone?"

"He still plays it, though not as much. He just found some other game to be bad at."

"I mean, he can't be worse than you, right?" she snickered, giving him a playful smirk.

"Those are fighting words," Lincoln replied with a grin of his own.

"Yeah, but remember all those times when I'd kick your butt at that muscle fish game?"

"That was beginner's luck!" Lincoln said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Dude, you never landed a single punch!"

"I was going easy on you!"

Ronnie Anne cooly nodded. "You know, after the tenth time, that just completely loses its credibility."

"I didn't know you could count to ten," Lincoln riposted with a smirk of his own.

"Shut up!" she laughed as she grabbed a handful of snow from a nearby railing and half-heartedly tossed it his way.

"Hey!" he grabbed a handful and threw it back at her.

"Oh, you wanna go?" she grabbed a pile of snow with both hands this time, balled them together, and threw it directly at his face.

In that moment, there was that fire of determination, the competitive spirit that always welled up whenever he was challenged by her. He reached for the railing and gathered as much snow as he could, balling them up and throwing it like a catapult in her direction.

Ronnie Anne challengingly nodded, and she reached for yet another pile of snow. Lincoln took heed of this and started forming one as well. However, before he could finish, he was hit in the shoulder by his friend cackling maniacally in front. He ran to gain some distance, getting into a small mound of snow, but not before being hit in the back once again. Crouching down to gather more snow, he finally managed a heap that would stick together, and he tossed it with all his might. However, it ended up just barely grazing her shoulder, and she brushed off what little there was without batting an eye.

"Is that all you got, lame-o?" she taunted. "Why don't you just go ahead and admit defeat?"

"It's over, Ronnie Anne! I have the high ground!" He said with open arms, only to immediately get conked in the head with another frozen projectile, making him land prone on the ground.

"You're such a dork!" she laughed, slapping her knee repeatedly while wiping a tear from her eye with the other.

"Heh, yeah, I guess I am," he conceded. It was a little humiliating, truthfully. Ronnie Anne always seemed to get the best of him. Snowball fights, Muscle Fish… Christmas...

She eventually regained her composure and walked over to where Lincoln was lying on the ground. He glanced up to see her towering above him. Despite the imposing figure however, there was a certain kindness to her smile that she sported, and the hand she extended down for him to grab onto. He did so, and she pulled him upright, allowing him to stand on his feet again and brush the snow off himself.

Ronnie Anne almost always beat him in every game they played, but with this gesture, he remembered that the important thing was that he got to play them with her. No game played with her ever had a dull moment in them. Even when he was getting miserably defeated, the playful banter that came along with it added a life that no one else could possibly fill. In fact, there was never a dull moment with her. She made fun of him all the time, but he knew she didn't actually mean it. He knew she did this because she knew he could handle it. Despite all the banter, insults, and the metaphorical and literal snowballs thrown at each other; beneath each of them was a display of affection that they wouldn't communicate any other way.

"You've got a mean swing," Ronnie Anne teased with a loving little pat to his chest once she was sure they were done lollygagging.

Lincoln wanted to maybe try again at besting her (living with so many sisters gave him his own competitive edge). But instead, he decided to make like Elsa and let it go. Today was about giving her the best, not the other way around.

Even so, he wouldn't be too sappy about it. For her liking, of course. Yeah. Totally.

"And you've got a mean everything," he joked back.

She weakly laughed at that. At first, Lincoln thought it was a pretty good comeback. Something she would be proud of. But the way she looked away from him now, the way she defensively slouched…

Did he say something wrong?

"Ronnie Anne?"

For a moment, she was quiet as she glued her eyes to ground below. Gone was her usual bravado. In its place was… something somber. Something he'd seldom seen from her.

Sadness.

"You know… I've never really uh… I've never really been able to do stuff like this with other people," she said, still not looking to him.

Her words didn't quite register. Sure, she probably knew what they really meant, but for Lincoln, they were practically foreign. What did she mean by that? Something good? Something bad? His heart couldn't tell his mind to tell his mouth what it needed to say. Not like with Lori just a little while ago. He was totally unsure.

It didn't seem to matter though. Ronnie Anne fixed her posture, and made an effort to try and look Lincoln in the eyes as she proceeded onward.

"I don't really like to bring this up, but, I didn't really have a lot of friends growing up. I kind of had to toughen up at a young age because of it," she started again. He knew with those words that now was the time to be quiet and listen. Anything he had to say could wait until after she was finished.

"Look, I don't expect you to say anything to like, make this weird, alright? I just wanted to take a second to tell you that, I'm sorry if I'm not the best at this 'being friends,' thing. I like messing around, I like telling jokes, I like having snowball fights. That's just my style. But I don't want you to think I don't, like… Uhm…"

He saw her hesitate. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, with her eyes moving anxiously from left to right, searching for the right words. He was going to be patient for her, but she seemed to feel the awkward tension building up, and she ended up kicking the snow.

"You know what? Forget I said anything," she told him as she turned her back to him. "Let's keep going, lame-o."

She started to walk away from him without giving him a chance to say anything. Stunned as he was, he idled there, not knowing how to react, until he regained control of his body and paced his way to catch up with her. He could sense her distress, and he knew he had to say something. She wouldn't bring this thing up in the first place if it meant nothing to her.

"Hey, you know, I just wanted to say that-"

"So is it true what they say about Girl Jordan's party?" She interrupted him. "She was talking to me the other day and she said she would be sending me the videos soon for me to laugh at."

"Girl Jordan?" He repeated, somewhat flustered. "I don't know what you're talking about, I was at Liam's… Wait, you and Jordan talk?"

"You're not the only one that texts me, lame-o," she said with a smile. "I'm a popular girl."

"But… Girl Jordan? Why would she…? Oh… Uh… Does she…?"

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, no. She only has eyes for Stella."

"Oh."

"Which, speaking of Stella, she's also told me some stories about her. And how lame you and your dorky friends were", she added with a devious smile. "Why don't you share your version of that fiasco?"

He felt himself blushing at the memory of those events. He could tell she was trying to change the subject, but she was being so direct that he assumed that maybe it was for the best to just indulge her.

"Ok, to be completely fair, it was all Rusty's fault."

And so he told her everything about those few days in school. That led to him telling her about his experience on visiting Middle School and everything that he learned about Lynn. That led to him asking her about how was school in the city. And before they realized, the tension and drama was completely forgotten, leaving place to a very relaxed and cheerful conversation.

They were having a good time, but Lincoln was now starting to worry that they weren't having a _special_ time. Not special enough for Ronnie Anne to remember. Not special enough for it to be meaningful. _He_ was having fun, and he was _definitely_ enjoying every single moment he spent with her, but this wasn't about him. It was about her. He was supposed to make this the best Christmas ever for her, and yet time was flying by as the pendulum swung. If he didn't come up with something, their afternoon together would be over, and no matter no hard he tried or how far he got, in the end it wouldn't even matter.

He kept asking her how she was feeling, and the single raised eyebrow and deadpanned looks she was starting to give him were enough for him to understand that he was now entering annoying-friend territory. The ding dang opposite of what he was looking for. They started their afternoon running from one place to the other, laughing, poking fun at each other, with her taking the lead and him happily following, but now they were slowly walking one next to the other, with two feet separating them, their hands on their respective hoodie pockets, and their gazes down focused on the trail they were absent-mindedly following.

Usually, silences between him and Ronnie Anne felt right. Like there were no words that needed to be said, like the silence came from an unspoken understanding and a profound acceptance of each other's presence. We don't need to talk to have a good time, we're here together and that's enough. Right then and there, though, the silence was nothing like that. It wasn't nice and comforting. It was awkward. Really, really awkward, and he knew it was his fault.

He was now legitimately starting to worry that he would end up ruining this day for her, and so he decided to swallow his pride and bend in to his sister's advices. He didn't have the money nor a store nearby to buy her a smartphone, and he was absolutely certain that if he ever tried to sing her a song she would probably never come back to the city, so in the end, he decided that Lynn's advice was probably his best option. He was no stranger to making a fool out of himself in sports. He could take the hit if it meant it was a memorable experience for Ronnie Anne.

"So," he began, still looking down at the frosty cobble path they were walking on, "what do you say if we text Lori and Bobby and tell them we're going to _Jack Frost's Winterland_ near the mall?"

Through the corner of his eye, Lincoln saw her head turning into his direction.

"Huh?" she said with a confused tone. He looked up at her and saw sheer dumbfoundedness in her expression. He gulped what felt like a plum sized rock.

"I heard they have an awesome ice rink", he explained, trying to look innocent, but his smile and confidence began wearing off the more her expression turned from surprise to slight annoyance. "We could go there, rent some ice skates and, uh, you know, do some… ice-skating… I guess?"

The question lingered in the air for a while, until his friend stopped right where she was, now effectively glaring in his direction.

"Uh… Ronnie Anne?" He asked, stopping as well.

"Alright, that does it", she said in annoyance. "What's going on?"

"Nothing", he was fast to answer. Too fast, as he quickly realized.

"You're acting really weird right now. Something's wrong but I just can't tell what."

"There's nothing wrong! I'm just… simply inviting you to have some good time doing an activity we both enjoy."

"Since when do you enjoy ice skating? You almost pissed your pants forty minutes ago when we were over the pond."

Touché. He was definitely known for his lack of affinity towards winter sports. Sports in general, to be perfectly honest.

"What, can't I just have a good change of heart regarding certain activities?" He said, trying to save face, shrugging and raising his hands, feigning innocence.

"You _hate_ ice skating!" She challenged. "You told me last week that you went to see Lynn play in an ice hockey tournament, and that you wouldn't play it even if people paid you to!"

"That was different", he pointed out, raising an index finger, as he was sweating so cold he was worried that his face would end up covered in ice. "Ice hockey is a different thing, I was thinking more of… of… you know… figure skating?"

Ronnie Anne's arms dropped limp to her sides. Lincoln wanted nothing more than to just bury his head in the snow and stay there until Kingdom Come.

"Figure skating", she repeated.

There was an awkward pause in which his life flashed in front of his eyes, and he tuned out for a second to just think about all the circumstances that had led him to that moment.

"Yes."

"You suddenly decided that you want to do _figure skating_."

"Well, you know, contrary to popular belief, there's nothing wrong with men wanting to-"

"What made you change your mind so hard that you now want to do figure skating of all things?"

"W-What, can't I just want to do some exercise?"

"Exercise? You? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this boring and cold winter weather, all taking place entirely within our first afternoon together in over a month?"

Her fists were now clenched and her lips pursed as she waited for him to move out of his stupor.

"...I mean, if you don't want to, we can instead-"

"It's not that I don't want to!" She interrupted him, taking a step closer towards him. "You know I love ice skating, but YOU don't! You hate it because you would always trip when you were younger and Lynn tried to get you into it, and you hate the scrapes on your knees and palms! You've told me a million times that it freaks you out!"

Her voice was now raising and she looked mad at him, but even as everything that he was trying to build was crumbling around him, he still found a moment to just appreciate the fact that she remembered all these little things that he had told her at some point during their video calls.

"You've been acting weird all day. You think I didn't notice? You've been staring at me. Keeping your distance. Measuring your words. And you've been acting extra nice towards me. You're always nice, but today you've been acting like I'm sick or something, like you're trying to take care of me. I didn't say anything because I thought maybe you just had a rough week or something, but now I don't even know what's going on! Can't you just tell me what you're up to?"

"Nothing!" He said, looking at her right in the eye. "Listen, I know you like ice skating, alright? I just thought you'd like the idea of going there."

"I don't want to do stuff I can do in the city! I could've stayed there today and go to the ice rink with the guys, but I came here because I wanted to have a nice day with my friend," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and turning to her left, looking away from him. "But this isn't you, and it's no fun."

Her words sunk into him like cold, icy daggers. He almost had to take a step back, like they had physically impacted him.

"Ronnie Anne…"

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're trying to be someone you're not", she said, and for a moment, for the shortest moment, he sensed some sadness in her voice, "and that's not the Lincoln I came here to be with. So you better just tell me what's going on."

He was speechless. Lincoln didn't know what to say. He was somehow used to his plans going wrong one way or the other, but he couldn't remember ever failing this spectacularly, this hard, this painfully bad. This wasn't a silly operation to get the best seat in Vanzilla. This wasn't him trying to get some cereal. This wasn't a material-made mission, it was his opportunity to show Ronnie Anne how much he cared, and he was blowing it up like the world's biggest fool.

He didn't answer. He just looked away, defeated. She waited for him to say something, anything, but after it was clear that his silence wasn't going to be broken any time soon, she turned away and started to walk where they came from.

"I'm glad I came here today, lame-o", she said, and her voice left no doubt that she was, in fact, not glad at all.

Lincoln was about to tear up, in all honesty. This wasn't how things should've gone. This was not what he wanted. It was definitely not what she deserved. His cold fingers hurt when he clenched his fists, and he closed his eyes for a second before calling for her.

"Wait!"

She stopped her march and discretely glanced over her shoulders. Lincoln sighed and raised his hands to rub his temples. He didn't like losing, he didn't like failing, he didn't like admitting his failure, but he would take all of that over ruining his friend's Christmas.

"Alright, I'll tell you", he finally gave in, his shoulders dropping before he gave her a pleading look. "Just… don't go. Please. I'm sorry."

She turned around and took several steps towards him, stopping short of a foot away from him. He was still looking down, so she bent slightly forward to enter his vision.

"I won't leave", she assured him. "I'm just worried. I wanna know what's going on with you and why you're acting so weird."

She didn't rush him nor demand an explanation right away. With the way he knew he was looking, he seemed to have awakened some sense of concern in her, enough for her to be patient with the long moments of silence that followed. Several lies occurred to him in the meantime, some very contrived, some very ridiculous, some so crazy that they may even work, but ultimately, he decided that the best thing he could do was to be upfront and honest about his intentions.

"Yesterday I heard Bobby and Lori talking over the phone", he began. "Lori was really, really happy about having a shared afternoon right before Christmas with him, and… well, I got excited at the idea of having a shared afternoon with you, too."

He didn't dare look at her, because he was absolutely sure that his face was showing a scarlet red blush all the way from his cheeks to his ears.

"But then… then I got to talk with your brother, and he showed me this awesome present that he had for Lori and… Ugh, I don't know, I just… I just felt like I had to get something for you too, but I had nothing."

"Is that it?" She said after a short pause, her voice a whisper that could barely be heard over the cold winter breeze. "Dude, I was joking earlier today. I didn't know you would take it so seriously. I don't need a present, you don't owe me anything."

"It's not that I owe you a gift or that I have to give you one, it's just what I want to do because… because you really mean a lot to me", he asserted, finally finding it in himself to look up at her.

His eyes met hers, and he was finally able to see a slight blush on her pretty, freckled, and currently stunned face.

"I wanted to make this Christmas special for you, because it's the first one you're spending outside of Royal Woods. It's your first Christmas in the city, and I know you'll be with your family and your new friends, but… Well… I won't be there for you and… And I, I just… I wanted to give you something to remember us. To remember Royal Woods. To remember… me."

"I just… That's… wow", she said, nervously laughing a little before giving him a lukewarm smile as she rubbed her left arm.

"I really wanted to give you something great", he continued, "but I couldn't think of anything, so I asked my sisters about it because they usually know what to do in these cases, and they're girls, so one would assume that they'd know what one would like to receive! But even if they were well intended and maybe even spot on with their ideas, I can't make them happen. I spent my allowance so I don't have money to buy you make-up or gift cards, and I can't sing you a song because I suck at karaoke," he admitted, clearly ashamed of everything he lacked. "So I thought that maybe I could try to do stuff you like to make you remember this day and help you have a good time. Like ice skating! I'm not good at it and, well, to be honest it does scare me a little. But that's okay! Because this really isn't about me. It's about you."

As words kept flowing relentlessly and uncontrollably out of his mouth, the world became smaller and smaller. There was no park, no cobble path, no clouds on the sky or snowflakes dancing their way down from upon. As far as Lincoln was concerned, there was only him and her. Nothing else mattered. Just him, being honest and opening his heart out for her, and Ronnie Anne, taking in all this information and processing it at her own accord. It took her some time before everything soaked in and she was finally able to say something back.

"You… You don't have to try so hard to make me feel special", she admitted, bashfully looking away for a second. "Listen lame-o, I came here because Bobby told me I could spend time with you, and that was good enough for me. I came to be with you, the guy I've gotten to know so well. You don't need to be another guy, or do stuff that you don't like, because I like you the way you are."

It took her a few moments to realize how that last part sounded like, and when she did, they both exchanged a very long, emotionally charged look.

"You don't need to get me anything", she said, not making any effort to correct herself, "being with you makes it special enough."

They smiled at each other, and their world became even smaller than it was a few moments ago as they both naturally and instinctively took a few steps closer until they wrapped their arms around the other person, losing themselves in a warm embrace. He felt her burying her face on the crook of his neck, her hot breath sending chills down his spine. He in return squeezed her against his chest, rejoicing in the wonderful feeling of a hug with her special friend. She wasn't one to openly show affection so often, so these moments were scarce and rare, but that only made him cherish them much more.

After several seconds, they broke away from one another, but almost as if they had minds of their own, their arms didn't fully leave each other. His hands slithered down from her back to her waist, resting comfortably on her sides at the same time that her own moved down from around his neck to his forearms, her fingers gently closing around his elbows.

Their faces were now inches apart, and as the moments of silence stretched long enough to feel like an eternity —a beautiful, oniric eternity—, their eyes scanned each other's expressions, stopping to marvel at every single detail. Lincoln found himself astonished at the realization of just how beautiful his friend was. Her soft, round chin, the way her freckles were spread all over the smooth, soft-looking skin of her cheeks, her curled eyelashes, the flickering reflections of light on the shiny surface of her big, brown eyes, like two ponds deep enough for him to get lost into, just as inviting as her lips…

Without even realizing it, his hands were trying to slowly drag her closer once again.

"You really mean the world to me," he admitted, all embarrassment gone, all futile attempts to conceal the true emotions that had been blossoming inside his heart for the past season now come to an end. For once, he didn't feel like he needed a plan of action.

He let his heart take the lead.

"I want to make this the best Christmas ever for you, but I'm too dumb to realize what I should give you as a present," he admitted, making her grin. "So if there's anything I can get you, just tell me."

"I'm serious, lame-o, you don't need to get me anything."

"I'm not gonna accept that answer."

"You're the ultimate dork, did you know that?"

"I'm still going to get you a gift, so better tell me what you want or else I'm gonna have to sing."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

They had a glaring contest that lasted up until one of them lifted the corner of their lips, and they both cracked up laughing out loud, their hands never leaving each other's bodies.

"But seriously," Lincoln said after recovering, giving her a look so intense it pierced past her defenses and touched her soul, "I set myself to make this Christmas an unforgettable one for you. So if there's anything you want, whatever it is, as long as I can get it, I will give it to you. So, Ronnie Anne, what is it that you want the most?"

He gave her time to think, and she gladly took it. Her eyes reluctantly moved down to allow herself to reflect on his question, and he waited, his hands still on her hips, his eyes still on her face, his heart still beating faster than Luna's drumming on a Friday night. He allowed himself to appreciate every single detail of her body language. Her pupils moving from one corner her eyes to the other, her tooth gently biting her lower lip, her right knee bouncing on her place. He loved seeing her thinking so hard, but as much as he was looking forward to her answer, part of him was getting worried that maybe he was setting expectations way too high. That maybe he wouldn't be able to fulfill his promise, and that maybe he would end up ruining it all.

He was still in the process of worrying when he saw the proverbial light bulb turning on inside of her head. A grin spread across her face, her eyes closed for a second, and when she opened them back up and looked at him, a new shade of pink was painting her cheeks.

"Well, if you insist, there is one thing," she mentioned with a teasing flavor to her words.

It piqued his interest, and he gave her a half grin as he raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're going to ask me for something impossible just to make me feel bad?"

She buffed.

"Nah, it's definitely possible. In fact… you've given it to me before. Twice."

"Oh?"

He tried to remember. He didn't remember ever given her any present other than on her birthday, and that was only once. What could it-?

"Oh," he said, blushing hard as he thought he realized what she meant. "You…? Do you…? Is it…?"

He couldn't finish the question, but the flustered nature of his behavior must have been enough for her to understand that he had correctly guessed what she meant.

"But," she pointed out, her flaring eyes focused on his, "unlike the others, I only want it if it means something. Not because your sisters tell you to. Not because you want to make up for being a mouth breather. Not just because I'm asking you to. I only want this present if it really means anything to you."

"Oh, uh…"

In the middle of the snowed park, it was suddenly very hot. He almost wanted to tug his collar to get some fresh air, but the need to have his hands on her was stronger than his will to breathe. He considered his options. Could he really do what he was being asked to? He had had some crazy ideas on what he could or should give her, but this one particular answer had never crossed his mind, not even in his wildest dreams. It wasn't something one would unironically consider… but she was asking for it. She wasn't just any girl, she was Ronnie Anne, so if he were to give it to anyone, it would definitely be her.

With that out of the way, the question was whether he could comply with her condition. Would it mean anything? Would it be special? He tried to think, but it only took him one look at her to realize that yes, he wanted it to be meaningful as well. He wanted it to mean something. He didn't want it to go unnoticed or unimpactful. Their relationship had come a long way since their early days of friendship, and it was only logical to take a first step into this new, wonderful and unexplored territory for both of them.

"Well… If that's what you want… I think I can, uh, make it happen," he shyly said. "But are you sure about it? Is, uh, is that really what you want?"

Her hands slowly made their way up again to his neck, and as their gazes intertwined in a metaphysical embrace, the distance between their faces became less and less, until she had to lean her head to her left so their noses wouldn't touch.

"Lincoln," she began, her voice resonating in his ears with a softness that seemed alien coming from her, but that it also felt just right, "all I want for Christmas… is you."

Considering that as all the invitation he needed, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. They didn't move, they didn't breathe, they stood where they were, their lips pressed together, their hands holding onto each other like they were fearing life would escape them if their grasp wasn't strong enough. They were motionless, like statues, a polaroid picture of a moment that neither of them wanted to end, wishing that they could freeze time or turn it into a loop to be trapped in it for the rest of their lives.

When their lungs couldn't take it anymore they broke their kiss. They opened their eyes and saw each other panting like they had just ran a marathon together. It had been quite the emotional experience.

"Wow," Lincoln said with a goofy smile, trying to break the ice.

"Yeah… wow," she agreed, smiling back at him.

"So, uh, did you, you know… like your gift?"

Her flustered expression quickly turned back into her regular smug grin, as she broke the hug and gave him a soft punch on his shoulder.

"Don't be so full of yourself, punk."

He was about to make a snarky remark about practice making perfection, but it was at that precise moment when he heard what sounded like some distant, muffled sobbing. Ronnie Anne seemed to perceive it as well, and they both turned around to discover that, sixty feet away from them, Lori and Bobby were watching them together and taking pictures of them with their cellphones.

"This is literally the happiest day of my life!" Lori cried, her mascara running down her cheeks like a river of ink, clinging onto Bobby like she was afraid she would pass out… which, Lincoln had to admit, was a strong possibility.

"This is so going straight to my Instagram Story!" Bobby excitedly said.

"BOBBY!" Both kids complained, breaking their hug and taking one step away from each other.

"Done! Wait until our sisters see this!" The eldest Loud kid said, pressing a finger on her phone screen.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne groaned and slapped their faces in annoyance. The older couple approached them, smiling warmly at them and wiping away happy tears from the corner of their eyes. Their younger siblings didn't dare to look at them with how embarrassed they were.

"What are you guys even doing here?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"We were looking for you!" Bobby said with a radiant smile. "Lori and I are going to Gus' Games and Grubs to grab some sodas and talk in one of those comfy dining booths. "You wanna come and play in the arcades?"

Lincoln looked at Ronnie Anne. They were still blushing furiously, but there was a hint of curiosity and childish awe in their eyes at the prospect of maybe playing some Dance Dance Revolution.

"I'm up for it," he told her.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her brother before nodding her head.

"Alright! Let's go then!" the older boy said.

Bobby threw his arm around Lori's shoulders and turned around, walking back towards his truck. Lori giggled and rested her head against her boyfriend's shoulder. As the two teens started walking away from them, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln were left alone. After an awkward silence and a few shy looks, they reached an unspoken agreement and began walking after their older siblings. As he did so, Lincoln took a moment to think about everything that had just happened. He had kissed Ronnie Anne. She had asked him to kiss her. It should feel awkward, it should feel like a big step, it should feel like he'd taken a decision that could potentially ruin their amazing dynamic, and yet it didn't. It didn't feel like any of that, it felt… it felt…

Suddenly, in the most discreet way possible, Ronnie Anne's fingers touched his. At the soft, tickling touch on the tip of his fingers, he opened them, and she wasted no time into softly intertwining them with her own. She squeezed his hand with a firm grip, and he turned his head to look at her. She was looking forward, pretending not to notice him, but the treacherous grin on her face gave her away. He was so amused by her reluctance to look at him that, naturally, he kept staring at her, trying to see how far she would go with her act. Turns out, she was able to maintain it for quite a long time, before she finally rolled her eyes and turned her head to give him a teasing smile.

"What? Is there a problem, Lincoln?" she asked with feigned annoyance.

His grin grew wider, and the happy butterflies in his stomach were now flying stronger than ever. It wasn't just the playful look on her face, or the fact that she had called him by his name and not her teaseful nickname. It was the answer to her question what suddenly sunk in his head and heart.

"No," he said after a few seconds, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, "Everything's fine."

It truly was.


End file.
